Birthright
by Arthur Hansen
Summary: What if Ranma wasn't the best?
1. Watch Out Ranma, Here's Akane!

Birthright  
  
-  
  
Nanami shuffled through today's pile of mail. Bill, bill,  
junk mail, bill. Hmm. Nabiki's subscription to Nakayoshi has  
expired. She would have to remember to renew it for her. A  
postcard? Addressed directly to Soun? How odd. She tacked  
the subscription up to the wall, put the rest in their place  
and carried the postcard out to him.  
  
She pushed an errant strand of her gray hair out of eyes as  
she stepped into the dojo. "Master Tendo? There is some mail  
for you." She adjusted her apron slightly over her plain  
dark brown dress.  
  
The two combatants finished their attacks, placing their  
feet back on the ground lightly. Soun turned towards Nanami.  
"Ah! Thank you!" He walked his powerful but lithe frame over  
to the door and accepted the mail. Akane swept her brow with  
her hand and then untied her severe ponytail that she had  
her hair up in. Her eyes followed her fathers movements  
carefully.  
  
"Wonderful news! Nanami? Could you please get Nabiki and  
Kasumi? We'll be having a family meeting in the living  
room."  
  
"What's going on, Dad?"  
  
Soun smiled. "I'll explain when everyone is there." He  
snagged a towel to wipe the sweat off of his face.  
  
Akane stared at her father in surprise. Had he just smiled?  
  
-  
  
"A fiance'?!" shouted three voices. Nanami was in the  
background, preparing tea. Her left eyebrow arched in  
surprise.  
  
"Yes. I have engaged one of you to marry the son of a dear  
friend, to continue our two family's art and the dojo.  
They've been training for a long time and just recently  
returned from China."  
  
"Big deal." Akane turned up her nose.  
  
"Father? What about Takchi? He and I, uh..." Kasumi asked  
from where she was sitting. She looked quite comfortable in  
her slacks and blouse. Her prescription glasses were  
smallish and oval with a silver metal frame. She looked up  
from her books on the table with a look of worry.  
  
"Ah, he hasn't proposed, has he?"  
  
Kasumi blushed. "No, but we've been dating for six months  
and, well, I really like..."  
  
Nabiki piped in suddenly, "She's got the hots for him and  
doesn't want to be tied down into an arranged marriage." She  
glared at her father and stood up. "And don't even think  
about me, Dad!" she spat the words into his face, turning  
and starting to stomp up the stairs.  
  
"Nabiki! Come back here this instant!" Soun thundered,  
slamming the palm of his hand down on the table.  
  
Nabiki stopped in mid stride. She gave him an unreadable  
look and then turned and sat back down.  
  
A loud commotion was heard outside. Nabiki tilted her head  
to the side. "Looks like we've got visitors." Nanami took  
her cue and walked over to answer the door.  
  
A moment later her scream pierced the air as the poor,  
frazzled housemaid came trotting around the corner.  
  
"Now look what you've done! You're scaring them spitless.  
Put me down, you old fart!" a voice said as a giant panda  
walked into the room. It seemed to be carrying someone over  
its shoulder.  
  
Akane and Soun both hopped lightly over table. A tanto  
appeared in Akane's hand almost as if by magic as they both  
shifted into their favorite attack positions.  
  
The panda stopped suddenly and deposited the struggling  
figure on the ground. The red haired individual ducked her  
head low after glancing around. "Um, sorry about this."  
  
Soun asked sternly, "Are you Ranma Saotome?" A nod was his  
response. Soun swept her into a hug and spun around with his  
arm still around her shoulders. A look of surprise appeared  
on his face.  
  
Nabiki stepped up suddenly. Her hand zipped out suddenly and  
tweaked Ranma's breast, a look of glee on her face. "Ranma  
is a girl!"  
  
Nanami's vision wavered as she slumped into a faint. Soun  
had a thunderous expression on his face. "Genma! What have  
you done?"  
  
-  
  
Everyone was seated around the prone form of Nanami, who was  
covered in a blanket, with a compress on her head.  
  
Nabiki poked Ranma's breast again, the smile still present  
on her face. "Why, Daddy, you've engaged us to a girl. I  
didn't think you were that forward thinking?"  
  
Soun was distracted from answering by the panda. It seemed  
to want something from him. What an odd animal it was.  
  
"Would you please stop that?" Ranma asked politely.  
  
A scowl appeared on Akane's face. "Nabiki! She is a guest!"  
She turned to Ranma suddenly. "Hi, I'm Akane! I hear you  
practice the Art!"  
  
"Uh, yeah." Ranma blinked in surprise at the sweaty, gi clad  
girl next to her.  
  
"Would you like to spar?"  
  
Ranma smiled hesitantly. "Sure!"  
  
-  
  
"Tell me if I push you too hard!" Akane smiled in  
anticipation.  
  
Ranma barely adjusted her stance. This wouldn't be much of a  
fight. Akane was just a girl, after all.  
  
Akane frowned slightly. Deceptive. She adjusted her posture  
and her method of attack. A cunning set of punches and kicks  
led to a bruising blow to the shoulder that Ranma rolled  
with only partially.  
  
"Whoa!" Ranma squeaked out, using her slightly greater speed  
to avoid the next set of attacks. Those were good, she  
thought to herself.  
  
A look of determination sprang to life on her face. No girl  
was going to beat Ranma Saotome. She let loose a flurry of  
punches and kicks, trying to get in past Akane's guard.  
Akane weaved back slightly, robbing them of all strength and  
outright dodging most of them. A look of consternation  
flashed across Ranma's face as she was suddenly back on the  
defensive.  
  
A punch turned into a grab, snagging Ranma's wrist in an  
expert throw towards the wall. Ranma bounced off of it and  
snapped a kick where she expected to see Akane on the  
ground. Her surprise was evident as she realized that Akane  
was above her, dropping a reverse crescent kick onto her  
back.  
  
Ranma slammed to the ground and rolled, missing a stomp that  
would have disabled her leg. Ranma managed to roll to her  
feet awkwardly, trying to block the follow up kicks. Two  
snuck through her defenses, slamming the smaller girl back  
up against the wall.  
  
A palm in front of Ranma's nose stopped the fight. "Bang.  
You lose." Akane smirked. She was pretty good, Akane had to  
admit. Not as good as she was, of course.  
  
"Um, hey." Ranma couldn't believe that she had just lost to  
a girl.  
  
"You've got a lot of potential, you know that? Just need to  
work on you balance and that tendency to pull short with  
your punches. You'd be pretty good."  
  
Ranma flushed in anger. Opening her mouth to retort back at  
the girl that had just beaten her, she was stopped by Akane  
smiling and saying, "Would you like to train here? It'd be  
nice to have someone who's really good to spar with. It gets  
pretty boring sparring with Father all the time."  
  
"Ah, sure." Boy, she's cute when she wants to be, Ranma  
thought.  
  
-  
  
"Akane? Ranma? Would you like to clean up?" Nanami asked as  
she stuck her head out of the kitchen.  
  
"Sure! Is everything set out? Come one, Ranma!" Akane said  
brightly after Nanami nodded yes. Akane snagged the  
reluctant smaller girl and started down the hall. Akane  
noted the girl's struggles. With a shrug of her shoulders,  
she hoisted the girl and with one hand tossed her lightly  
into the changing room.  
  
"Hey! What's the big idea?" Ranma piped up loudly. She  
rubbed her shoulder where Akane had squeezed the bruise from  
earlier.  
  
"Girl, you stink. You look like you haven't had a bath in  
ages." Akane shed her gi top and started to untie her  
outfit's pants.  
  
"Uh! Gotta go!" Ranma squeaked out. She found her way  
blocked by Akane, so she dodged into the actual bathing  
room.  
  
"What is your problem? Are you allergic to soap or  
something?" Akane said as she walked in after Ranma, wearing  
only her panties and a sports bra.  
  
"What are you? Some sort of bully?" Ranma looked around  
frantically for some other exit as she backed away from the  
wiry girl in front of her.  
  
Akane laughed. "No, silly." She reached up to undo her  
shoulder straps of the bra when Ranma stepped on a bar of  
soap. With a yell and the waving of her arms frantically to  
try and catch her balance, she slipped into the hot waters  
of the furo.  
  
Akane chuckled as she finished taking her bra off, just when  
Ranma resurfaced. But Ranma was... different. His hair was  
darker and you could see obviously that he was no longer a  
she, even thru the clothes he wore. Ranma stared at her in  
shock, his eyes wide as he realized that his doom was about  
to be visited upon him.  
  
Akane's eyes narrowed. She snarled, a deep bass sound  
emanating from her throat. Ranma flipped himself over and  
onto the inner edge of the furo, just missing being turned  
into a pancake by Akane's massive blow. The same blow that  
shattered the furo into its constituent pieces of tile and  
splashed water everywhere.  
  
Ranma dived over Akane's head as she was momentarily blinded  
by her own attack. He slid into the changing room, changing  
directions to run out the room and down the hall.  
  
"Come back here you pervert! I'm going to hurt you so bad  
that your children are going to feel it," Akane roared out  
as she thundered out of the changing room, pulling on her gi  
top as she followed him.  
  
"Uh, uh! No way!" Ranma shouted over his shoulder. He left a  
trail of droplets in the air as he skidded into the living  
room. He bounded over the table that his father and Soun  
were sitting at.  
  
Soun took one look around and sighed. As Akane sailed over  
the table, he snagged her foot, which had the effect of  
tripping and slamming her to the ground. She let out all of  
her breath explosively. "Akane! These are our guests! Please  
behave!"  
  
Nabiki and Kasumi trotted into the room to see what the fuss  
was about. Nabiki smirked and then said, "Hey, Akane. Nice  
outfit. I'm sure the boys all appreciate the view, but don't  
you think you might want to put some pants on?"  
  
"Nabiki!" Kasumi scolded. She took in the scene, noting the  
man wearing the gi sitting with her father and the boy in  
the background who looked like he was going to flee any  
moment.  
  
"Boy! What did you do?" Genma yelled at his son.  
  
"It wasn't me! It was Akane! She dragged me into it! I was  
just trying to get away!"  
  
Akane had gotten to her feet woozily. "Liar! How did you  
sneak into the bathroom and what did you do to Ranma?"  
  
Ranma retreated back a step for each step that Akane took  
towards him. "Ah. Would you believe that girl was me?"  
  
Akane growled and hopped forward trying to get a hold of the  
bigger boy. Ranma hopped right on back and landed with a  
small splash. His foot skidded on the mud on the bottom of  
the koi pond, but he managed to keep his footing for now.  
Akane pulled her arm back in preparation to unleash a flurry  
of attacks at the peeping tom. She stopped as she saw the  
boy transform into the busty red-headed girl from before,  
right in front of her very eyes.  
  
Akane didn't relax, but said calmly, "Ok, maybe I would  
believe you. So why were you sneaking around as a girl?"  
  
"Sneaking around? It rained on me! Stupid curse! Stupid old  
man, dragging me to China and getting me cursed!"  
  
"Ranma! You sound like a girl! I thought you would sacrifice  
your life for the art!"  
  
Akane's glance twitched to the older, heavyset man wearing a  
white gi, glasses and a bandana who walked up.  
  
"My life yes, not my manhood!" Ranma leaped over Akane's  
head and started to throw kicks and punches at the older  
man.  
  
Genma was holding his own for the moment. "You're whining  
like a weak, little girl, Ranma-ugh!" Genma was interrupted  
by a kick to his head.  
  
Akane finished up her kick as Genma sailed into the air and  
down back into the pond. A panda surfaced suddenly, shaking  
its skull, seeing if anything was broken. "Weak, little  
girl? This is the modern age, you chauvinistic creep!"  
  
"Yes, as you can see, they were both cursed to turn into  
these other forms by cold water. Nanami! Bring that kettle,  
please! Luckily, hot water can change them back!" Soun  
suddenly splashed Ranma with scalding water from a kettle  
that was handed to him.  
  
"Not that hot! Not boiling," he screeched.  
  
Soun ignored him and splashed a widely dodging panda.  
Unfortunately, the panda was a huge target and couldn't  
avoid all of the water. "Yeow!"  
  
"They weren't like this, until they visited the cursed  
springs of hidden Jusenkyo! Their mystery is finally  
revealed!" Soun exclaimed.  
  
"Hey? Isn't this a brochure for that place you were talking  
about?" Nabiki said suddenly, showing everyone a travel  
brochure that had fallen to the ground during the scuffle.  
  
Kasumi read over her younger sisters shoulders. She adjusted  
her glasses with one finger. "Hmm. It's all written in  
standard mandarin kanji." Kasumi got a shrewd look on her  
face. "You can't read it, can you?"  
  
"Why, yes! How did you know?" Genma said, surprise evident  
on his face. For some reason, he was instantly dressed in  
his clothes again.  
  
"What an idiot! Why would you go visit a place if you  
couldn't even read the language?" Nabiki said scathingly.  
  
"But it was only 500 yen! It was a bargain! Besides, I could  
make out the words 'training ground' and 'martial arts'."  
  
Everyone groaned at his response.  
  
Soun clapped Ranma on his shoulder. "Well, Ranma! Your  
problem isn't that bad after all. These are my daughters;  
Kasumi, age nineteen; Nabiki, age seventeen; and Akane, age  
sixteen. Choose the one you want to be your new fiance'e!"  
  
"Oh, he wants Akane, definitely!" Nabiki piped up quickly.  
  
Kasumi frowned, but nodded her agreement. "She really would  
be the better match." She put her hand on Akane's shoulder  
and smiled. "Besides, they are both martial artists."  
  
"Hey! Don't I get some choice here!" Akane had this  
incredible feeling that she was being sold off in a meat  
market.  
  
"I'm the one who's getting saddled with a psycho! You  
dragged me off and tried to force me to bath with you!"  
  
"You were the one that didn't tell me that you were really a  
boy! Admit it, you jerk, you're just upset that you lost to  
me."  
  
A frown grew on Genma's face as Ranma face turned an  
interesting shade of red. "You lost to her, boy? I thought  
that I trained you better than that!"  
  
"I only lost because I was in my cursed form! I'd win hands  
down now!" Ranma yelled back at his father over Akane.  
  
"Hah, that sounds like a challenge. Put you money where your  
mouth is, Ranma!" Akane sniped right back.  
  
"Sure! Right now, in the dojo!"  
  
And with that the two tromped into the dojo. They waited a  
moment as Nanami brought in a pair of gi pants so that Akane  
was properly attired. Then they lunged at each other in  
unison. Nabiki yawned from the sideline with the rest of the  
family. She'd seen Akane stomp a lot of would be challengers  
into the ground.  
  
Akane noted that Ranma now had a significant reach  
advantage, but seemed unwilling to grapple. He used mostly  
punches and kicks, with a lot of aerial movement. Akane kept  
herself low and steady, only leaping into the air when  
needed.  
  
She had to admit that Ranma was far better as a boy than  
`she' had been as a girl. His balance was almost perfect,  
his movements lithe and sure. His speed was phenomenal, but  
only a fraction faster than her own.  
  
Ranma began to suspect that she wasn't going to be a  
pushover. He feinted and weaved, trying to draw her into  
letting herself become unbalanced, open to attack. She  
minimized that almost immediately by keeping low and to the  
ground. He suspected that she saw through his tactic. Ranma  
had to step back more than once when she almost got a good  
grip on him.  
  
Nabiki yawned again and then glanced down at her watch. She  
whistled in surprise. They'd been fighting for over twenty  
minutes non-stop. "Wow. He's really good. Akane usually  
stomps anyone except Dad in two minutes flat."  
  
Soun nodded proudly.  
  
Ranma quit leaping into the air, suddenly. He started to  
emulate Akane, keeping low and fast. He started to get  
better shots off, catching her off guard. He gave her a  
stunning punch to her stomach, grinning as he thought he'd  
finally got to her. To say he was surprised when she grabbed  
that same punch and followed through with a complex throw,  
body-slam and grapple was an understatement.  
  
Ranma found himself pinned and having trouble breathing. He  
had surprisingly good leverage and started to push back. It  
became a contest of strength. He was sure that he was  
stronger.  
  
Akane proved him wrong. For two minutes he continued to  
fight, until spots appeared in his eyes. He panicked and  
tried to twist his way out, which was a fatal flaw when  
being held in the hold Akane was using.  
  
She grinned as she deftly managed to slam his forehead to  
ground, stunning him further. Ranma felt that she had become  
part python as she adjusted her grip to hold him tightly. He  
really started to panic as he realized that he was in a  
sleeper hold and couldn't get out.  
  
That was his last thought, just before he passed out.  
  
"He lost?" Genma said weakly. A shocked expression covered  
his face.  
  
"Yes. To my true heir of the Tendo School of Anything Goes  
Martial Arts." Pride was evident on his face.  
  
"How did she get so good?" Genma stuttered. He had just  
spent the last ten years of his life on the road, training  
his son for nothing? A girl who had stayed home could best  
his Ranma?  
  
"It took an incredible effort, but training for the last  
nine years paid off. I couldn't leave for as long a trip as  
you, of course. I had to look after Kasumi and Nabiki still.  
So I undertook training her intensely at home, with  
meticulously planned trips to exotic locales where the most  
powerful of techniques could be learned! As you can see, it  
paid off handsomely."  
  
"Of course." Genma schooled his face to hide the feelings of  
shame and worthlessness that he felt. His son was a failure.  
  
-  
  
Ranma awoke to the sight of a worried girl. "Are you all  
right, Ranma? I hope I didn't hurt you?" Akane said quietly.  
  
Ranma rubbed his neck. "Nah, I'm all right." He stared at  
the hand that was held out to help him up. He was tempted to  
just knock the hand away, but her expression really did seem  
sincere. With a sigh, he took her hand and let her drag him  
to his feet.  
  
"You were really good, Ranma. Only my Dad can fight me like  
you just did!"  
  
Ranma looked at her speculatively. "Really?"  
  
"Come on! Let's get some food. Sparring always makes me  
hungry."  
  
That comment won Ranma back over. With a rueful smile, he  
trotted after her. He was going to defeat her, he swore  
silently.  
  
-  
  
Ranma lay in his bed, eyes open and staring at nothing. He  
was replaying the fight, going over it piece by piece. She  
was good, he had to admit. She had beaten him after all. Not  
that he would ever say that aloud if he could help it.  
Strong as an ox and very fast. Her form was pretty near  
flawless as far as he could see.  
  
He spent the next hour going over the fight. By the end of  
his ruminations, he thought that he had found an exploitable  
hole in her defense. It would tricky, but he thought he  
could pull it off. It would probably be a one time only  
thing, he concluded glumly.  
  
He hardened his jaw muscles suddenly. He would just have to  
train harder. He finally fell asleep still planning.  
  
-  
  
Nanami whistled softly as she prepared to make breakfast for  
the family. She was quite used to it, as she had been doing  
the same thing for almost eight years. A flicker of a shadow  
across the window snapped her attention out into the yard.  
"Oh, it's just Ranma!" She watched him practice some punches  
while twisting in midair. He was silent as he flickered  
across the yard in leaps and bounds. She turned back to  
making breakfast.  
  
"Ah, good morning, Nanami! Have you seen any of the  
students?" Soun asked as he picked up his breakfast.  
  
"Not yet, I've only seen Ranma. He been up practicing before  
I got out of bed," Nanami said, smiling at the martial arts  
master.  
  
"Ranma?" Soun got a speculative look on his face. "Nanami?  
Why don't you wake Akane a little earlier than normal. About  
twenty minutes or so."  
  
"I guess I could. Any particular reason, Master Tendo?"  
  
"Just a guess."  
  
-  
  
"Have you seen that worthless son of mine?" Genma asked  
presumptuously. He looked in the kitchen, guessing wrongly  
that his son would be in there getting an early bite to eat.  
  
"Ranma? Why, I believe he's been up since dawn practicing.  
If you will excuse me, I have to wake Akane and Kasumi."  
  
Genma was surprised by that. Ranma, getting up early by  
himself? He stepped into the backyard to see him finishing  
up a complex kata. "Hey, Pop! What's up?"  
  
"I thought I would start retraining you. That was a  
pathetic..."  
  
"Shut up, old man. No way am I gonna lose again."  
  
Nabiki blinked from where she sat at the dinner table. A  
vicious smile appeared on her face for just a second. She  
quickly schooled her face into a far nicer smile. "Oh,  
really? I bet you that you'll still lose, Ranma. Willing to  
back up your words with money?"  
  
Ranma looked confused for a second. "What? No way am I  
losing! You're on!"  
  
"Two thousand yen. I'll even give you two to one odds."  
  
Ranma looked panicked for a second as he patted around for  
some money. Genma put his hand on his son's shoulder and  
spoke up suddenly, "Don't worry, Ranma. I'll cover you on  
this." Ranma gave him a very strange look.  
  
Akane walked in, stretching out her muscles. She was wearing  
her gi in preparation for her morning practice.  
  
"Hey, Akane. Ranma is looking for a rematch. Are you up for  
it?" Nabiki said loudly.  
  
Akane blinked. "Um, sure. I guess. Give me a moment to  
stretch out."  
  
Ranma ran through a simple kata to keep him limber as Akane  
warmed herself up. Behind them, Soun stepped up to the door  
of the dojo to watch. Behind him, three high school aged  
boys watched in interest. Genma stood on the porch of the  
house, the doors open behind him so that the people at  
breakfast could watch. In the background, Kasumi walked in  
and sat at the table.  
  
Akane finished her warm up and took her stance. Ranma also  
took up a stance. Both Soun and Genma dropped their hands at  
the same moment.  
  
Ranma didn't wait for Akane to attack him this time. He  
flashed forward and pressed the attack with a series of  
punches and kicks, almost identical to last nights fight.  
Akane returned the attacks with blocks and punches of her  
own.  
  
Hitoki snickered to the other students in the dojo. "It  
looks like Akane is going to thrash that guy."  
  
Ryu watched intently and then whistled softly. "She's been  
holding back on us. Look at them go."  
  
The third in the trio watched intently also. Wian responded,  
his voice thick with his Chinese accent. "You're right. I've  
never seen her pushed that hard. Whoever he is, he's good."  
  
Hitoki turned a critical eye on the fight. "You're right,  
Wian. We're the best students under Sensei Tendo and I know  
for a fact that I wouldn't last a minute in that fight."  
  
The other two nodded in agreement. That was moderately  
disturbing. They knew they were good. They just hadn't  
realized how much better Akane really was. No wonder Kuno  
lost every time they dueled.  
  
Akane noted as the fight progressed that Ranma had closed a  
few of his holes that she had been using last night. She was  
sure that she had too. Ranma launched a new series of  
punches that Akane blocked with effort. She saw an opening  
in his attack and managed to get a decent hit in to his  
chest.  
  
Pain blossomed in her abdomen as Ranma slipped in a hard  
blow to her solar plexus at the same moment, robbing her of  
precious air. Ranma continued to punch at her as he flipped  
inches over her head, spinning in mid-air to continue facing  
her without paused. Sweat glistened on Ranma's brow as he  
pushed himself even harder.  
  
Before he had even hit the ground he spun a kick in between  
his punches that he continued to throw non-stop. A kick that  
he spun in the opposite direction that she was spinning to  
face him. Akane blocked the punches without pausing a beat,  
but the kick surprised her and slammed the side of her head.  
That stunned her for just a second.  
  
A moment that Ranma didn't waste. He twisted her arm behind  
her and swept her feet out from underneath her. With his  
free arm, he caught her in a different sleeper hold than she  
used on him and held her to the ground. She'd have no  
leverage.  
  
She still almost ripped her trapped arm free. Akane grunted  
in exertion. With her free arm she tried to dislodge him for  
a moment, but that couldn't get a grip on him. She gave that  
up as futile for the short time that she would be conscious.  
Her free hand gripped the grass and heaved them both up and  
tossed them both at a wall thirty feet away. Ranma grunted  
as his shoulder slammed into the wall with stunning force.  
  
Ranma gritted his teeth against the pain. He would not lose  
again. He would not.  
  
Akane managed to get a grip on the wall with her free arm  
and to slam them both up against the wall with stunning f, Ranma  
taking the blow on the same shoulder.  
  
Pain blossomed just as he felt Akane going limp. They both  
sagged to the ground, but Ranma was the only one to rise to  
his feet. Just a few short moments later, as Ranma had  
gotten his breathing back under control, Akane awoke.  
  
She groaned in pain. She looked up in surprise at Ranma who  
was holding his left hand out to help her out.  
  
"A really good match, Akane."  
  
"That was a really sneaky move Ranma. It won't work again."  
Akane smiled to remove the sting.  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
Nabiki blinked from where she was sitting at the table.  
Akane had lost. She glared at Ranma's back for a second and  
then grudgingly pulled out the money that he had won. She  
wandered out into the yard to give him his winnings. "Well,  
Ranma. You really surprised me there. I haven't seen anyone  
but Dad beat Akane in years."  
  
Ranma accepted the money. "Thanks! That last move she pulled  
really surprised me."  
  
Akane noted that Ranma's right arm was hanging limply. "Are  
you all right?"  
  
"My shoulder really hurts," Ranma said with a grimace. It  
hurt hugely to even try and shift it around. He'd probably  
sprained it pretty badly, though it hurt worse than he  
remembered from last time he had done that.  
  
Akane studied him for a second. Ranma was going to hate  
this, but it would be better if she didn't warn him. "Let me  
take a look. Ok?"  
  
"Sure." Ranma glanced over at the retreating form of Nabiki  
as she walked back in to the house. He screamed in pain as  
Akane relocated his shoulder. He fell to his knees from the  
pain.  
  
"You dislocated you shoulder. It should heal up fine now!"  
  
"Uh, thanks," Ranma said weakly.  
  
"Hey, no problem. Why don't you go in and get cleaned up.  
I've got my dad's class to attend yet before school." She  
jerked her thumb at the open door and the students that were  
standing around. They parted ways as Ranma walked unsteadily  
back into the house.  
  
As he passed Nabiki, he saw her pull on a leather jacket and  
walk towards the front door.  
  
Akane took a minute as she stepped into the dojo to pay her  
respects at the small shrine that was dedicated to her  
mother. A renewed sense of determination welled up in her as  
she turned back to her father's first class of the day.  
Thoughts whirled through her mind. Strategies and counters  
formed, practice drills to increase her speed and power.  
  
Akane focused on her training. At that moment, nothing was  
more important. She had been unconsciously lax if Ranma  
could beat her after only one time of losing to her. That  
would not happen again, she vowed.  
  
-  
  
"School? I don't want to go to school." Ranma shifted the  
sling his arm was in.  
  
"Quit whining. You need the education." Genma glared at his  
ungrateful son.  
  
"I don't even have any school supplies!" His protestations  
were cut short as his father threw a backpack at him.  
  
Kasumi smiled as she pulled on her own knit jacket. It was a  
pale green with baby blue stripes. "Akane will be able to  
show you how to get there. It looks like Nabiki has already  
left.'  
  
"Fine! Whatever!" Ranma groused.  
  
He heard some light tapping coming down the stairs that  
heralded Akane's approach. She shouldered her small backpack  
and looked at Ranma. "Are you ready?"  
  
Ranma was surprised to say the least. Akane looked like an  
ordinary, if cute, schoolgirl in her uniform. It was loose  
enough that you couldn't see the breadth of her wiry  
shoulders. Her long hair was in a loose ponytail. "Um,  
yeah."  
  
As Ranma and Akane walked down the road, Ranma saw Kasumi  
getting picked up by a man driving a blue Toyota. "Hey,  
Akane? Who's that?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, that's Kasumi's boyfriend. She met him at Hajima  
Tech College."  
  
"So that's why she pushed the engagement onto you. So how  
about Nabiki?" Ranma asked.  
  
A slight scowl appeared on Akane's face. "Nabiki doesn't  
like me much. She's... a bit of a troublemaker."  
  
Ranma thought about that for a second. "So, watch your  
back?"  
  
Akane nodded glumly.  
  
Ranma opened his mouth to reply, when he was doused from the  
open sky with cold water. She wiped her eyes clear of the  
water and looked up. There was a tipped over bucket in the  
window of a house. A man's head appeared a second later.  
"Sorry about that!"  
  
Ranma sighed and turned around. Akane gave her a speculative  
look. Akane grabbed her arm. "We don't have time to go home  
and get you some hot water, Ranma."  
  
"I can't go to school like this!"  
  
"We'll get you some hot water when we get there. I'm in  
enough trouble from having to miss weeks of school to go on  
my training trips. I can't be late." Akane started to drag  
her down the street. Ranma tried futilely to stop her for a  
second, but realized that it would just create a bigger  
fuss.  
  
The red haired girl sighed. She had a suspicion that the  
rest of the day wasn't going to get better.  
  
-  
  
Nabiki pulled another drag on her cigarette. She watched the  
gates of Furinkan with mild amusement and interest. She and  
her friends were in a dimly lit area of the yard, screened  
from the school by a few trees. Furinkan's smokers corner  
was a haven from the oppression of school.  
  
"So what's so important that's going to happen today?" one  
of the girls asked Nabiki.  
  
"There's going to be a new student." Nabiki flicked the ash  
off of her cigarette and dropped it to the ground. She  
stomped the butt into the ground.  
  
"A new student?"  
  
"Yes. There's going to be a change in the balance around  
here."  
  
"I don't see why. Kuno's still pestering your sister, just  
like you wanted. He's got all of those boys trying to `date'  
her. I can't see how she can stand it every morning."  
  
"She's stubborn. Mule-headed is a pretty good description  
for her."  
  
One of the girls shaded her eyes, squinting to see someone  
trotting in the gate. "Is that her?"  
  
Nabiki glanced over at the gate. She nodded her reply. A  
small vicious smile cracked her lips.  
  
-  
  
Ranma was surprised when about thirty boys dressed in  
different sporting outfits charged them as they walked in  
the gates. Akane didn't seem surprised as she hopped forward  
ten feet. Her hands and feet became a blur to everyone but  
Ranma as she moved in between all of them. In moments they  
were down and out, laying on the ground as they groaned.  
  
"You'd think they'd learn." Akane flipped her hair back over  
her shoulder. A blurred shape was thrown at her. With a  
flick of her wrist, she snapped a rose out of the air. "Good  
morning, Upperclassman. Are you ready to get pounded again?"  
  
"Nay, for on this day shall I, Tatewaki Kuno the Blue  
Thunder of Furinkan High, shall defeat thee and take thee on  
a date of Herculean proportions." He made a dramatic pose as  
he walked out of the shadow of the tree he had been hiding  
behind.  
  
Kuno lunged out suddenly, trying to catch her unawares. She  
pivoted on one toe and spun a kick that connected to the  
back of his head. Kuno collapsed into an inert lump on the  
ground.  
  
Ranma walked up beside her. "What was all that about?"  
  
"Oh, Kuno just made this silly proclamation that if anyone  
wanted to date me, they would have to defeat me first."  
  
"Let me guess, none of them even came close?"  
  
"Bingo! Come on, let's go find that hot water." Akane  
started to walk off.  
  
"So why do they listen to him? He seems to be some sort of  
jerk."  
  
"He's the second best fighter in the school. Ryu and Wiam  
are a close third after him."  
  
"Actually, wouldn't he be the third best? You'd still be  
second best even with me here."  
  
Akane glared at her. "I don't know about that."  
  
Ranma humphed and then changed the subject. "So why do you  
allow it to continue?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, I'm training them. They are absolutely pathetic  
and need all the help they can get."  
  
Ranma started to laugh. "Oh, that is too choice."  
  
-  
  
Ranma tapped away at the book in front of him with the  
eraser of his pencil. He couldn't get comfortable enough to  
rest, so he was paying fairly close attention to the  
teacher. He sneaked a glance over at Akane. She was sitting  
at her desk, her face devoid of anything but the intensity  
of learning.  
  
Ranma shuddered slightly. She was just a bit spooky. It  
seemed like everything she did had to done to a hundred and  
ten percent. The door to the classroom slid open suddenly,  
as a figure roared into the room.  
  
Tatewaki Kuno shouted out as he slid into the room, "I shall  
not stand for this! It must be a lie! Never shall I stand  
for this travesty of justice that claims that Akane Tendo  
must wed this rank mongrel!"  
  
The class erupted into pandemonium as questions erupted from  
everyone's throats, directed at the two hapless teenagers.  
Ranma and Akane tried to denounce the truth of the news,  
attempting to blunt it with their declarations that they  
would never marry.  
  
Ranma barely leaped out of his desk when it was turned into  
kindling. "Hey!"  
  
"I thought you might be the one! You had the stink of the  
common swine on thee." Kuno smirked. He matched the  
description perfectly. He would have to remember to reward  
Nabiki later.  
  
"Hey! What do you think you're doing, Kuno?" Akane shouted.  
  
"This isn't the place to fight! Follow me!" Ranma was true  
to his words, for he leaped to the window sill, pausing just  
a second to make sure that Kuno was following.  
  
"Kuno! Wait! We're on the third floor!" Akane screamed out  
as Kuno leaped after the pig-tailed martial artist.  
  
"I follow!"  
  
Ranma bounced on the ground as he slipped his arm free of  
the sling. He grimaced in pain at moving his shoulder. He  
spun lightly, prepared to take down the kendoist the moment  
he touched down.  
  
With a ground shuddering thud, Kuno smacked face first onto  
the concrete and didn't get back up. His grip on his bokken  
didn't loosen in the slightest.  
  
"Ooh. That has to smart. Actually, I remember it smarting.  
Hey, Kuno? You alive?" Ranma turned over the prone figure.  
Kuno's entire face was a flat, cross where his eyes should  
have been. Ranma surmised that he would be fine, as he was  
still breathing and his back didn't look as if it was  
broken.  
  
"Ranma! What did you think you were doing? You could have  
really hurt him!" Akane yelled from the second floor.  
  
"Hey! I thought he was better than that! It's only three  
floors!" Ranma yelled back, as he put his arm back in the  
sling carefully. "I mean, he challenges you every day,  
doesn't he?"  
  
"You dummy! I took him out with one kick. He's nowhere near  
that good."  
  
"It's not my fault that he followed me! He should know his  
limitations!" With that Ranma crouched low and then leaped  
up to the third floor window that he had just exited from.  
  
The entire class blinked. "Wow! He's really good!" Diasuke  
said in wonder.  
  
Ranma smirked. "I'm one of the best."  
  
"But still second here at Furinkan." Akane glared at him.  
  
"We'll see! I beat you once! I can do it again!"  
  
A shocked murmur ran through the crowd. Someone had defeated  
Akane?  
  
"I've beaten you two times to your one!"  
  
"Hey! Ranma can date Akane even with that stupid  
proclamation from Kuno!" someone from the back of the  
classroom shouted. "What a lucky devil!"  
  
Ranma snapped his jaw closed and stared at Akane in  
surprise. Akane blink-blinked as she tried to assimilate  
that fact.  
  
"Hey! Who said that I wanted to date her?"  
  
"What! Is there something wrong with me?"  
  
"I didn't say that!" Ranma yelled at Akane.  
  
"No! You're insinuating it! Why you, you jerk!" Ranma saw  
the windup a mile away, but for some unfathomable reason, he  
didn't dodge the blow.  
  
Ranma spun around three times from the slap and collapsed on  
the ground, holding his face with his free hand.  
  
"If you children are done playing, I have a class to teach."  
  
A chorus of, "Yes, teacher!" followed as everyone scrambled  
to sit back down.  
  
-  
  
Ranma and Akane walked slowly out of school. When he thought  
Akane wasn't looking, he gingerly massaged his hurt  
shoulder. It still hurt a lot. He couldn't quite hide his  
grimace of pain.  
  
"Your shoulder still hurting you? I know a pretty good  
doctor in the area. He's really good with acupuncture and  
pressure points. He's been our family doctor for ages."  
Akane's face had an unreadable expression.  
  
"I don't need no stupid doctor."  
  
"Fine. Then you can stop me from dragging you there? Right?"  
Akane grabbed his right arm and started to haul him off down  
the road in the general direction of home.  
  
Ranma struggled briefly to free his arm from her grip. Her  
strength was incredible. He really couldn't remember anyone  
that he couldn't break their grip almost instantly with one  
hand. Finally he sighed, giving up and letting her drag him  
down the road.  
  
As they walked down the road, Ranma tried to sort out his  
feelings for the strange girl. He was unknowingly trying to  
pierce the same mystery many people before, with those they  
had an attraction too.  
  
Why did she treat him like she did? One moment they were  
bitter rivals and the next, she was trying to help him. She  
was at least as competitive as him, but did seem to kind of  
like him. Even if she did jump to conclusions like she had  
earlier.  
  
And why had she jumped to that conclusion? Ranma was  
interrupted as Akane slid a door to a small building open  
and dragged him inside. "Dr. Tofu? Are you here?"  
  
A trim looking young man wearing a gi and glasses stepped  
into the room. "Why, hello Akane! How are you doing today?  
You haven't hurt yourself again, have you?"  
  
"Nope! Well, not much. I did a number on Ranma's shoulder  
this morning and it's still hurting him."  
  
Dr. Tofu pushed his glasses back onto his nose and grinned  
at Ranma. "Follow me, please." He led the two kids into an  
examination room. He motioned Ranma to sit up on the table.  
"Take off your shirt." He waited for Ranma to comply and  
then started to push and prod at some points on his  
shoulder. "Hmm. Looks like you dislocated it and then got  
it reset. Something is being pinched. Shouldn't take more  
than a moment."  
  
Ranma gritted his teeth and wouldn't let Akane have the  
pleasure of hearing him scream out like he had this morning.  
Dr. Tofu's hands moved expertly, kneading the flesh and  
applying pressure just so. The only reaction that Ranma had  
to the excruciating pain was a slight tightness around his  
mouth and that he paled a bit.  
  
"There, that should feel a lot better!"  
  
Ranma twisted his shoulder experimentally. It was a bit  
sore, but no longer had the shooting pains from earlier.  
"Yeah. Thanks!"  
  
"Good! No sparring for at least a few days. When it doesn't  
hurt at all, you should be able to do light sparring for a  
couple of days. Try to do some slow katas that emphasize  
circular motion with your arms. That'll help keep it  
limber."  
  
"You knew I was a martial artist!" Ranma let his surprise  
show.  
  
"Not many people can control themselves from screaming out  
in pain when I dislocate and reset their shoulder." Dr. Tofu  
said dryly. He turned to Akane and asked, "So, how did this  
happen anyways?"  
  
"I kind of threw Ranma up against the dojo walls while we  
were having a match."  
  
"So another victory to Akane Tendo, hmm?" He started to fill  
out some paperwork which he then handed to Ranma.  
  
Akane flushed and then swallowed. "Umm. He won. This last  
time!"  
  
"Really!" Dr. Tofu looked at Ranma with healthy bit of  
respect. He must be an amazing martial artist.  
  
"I'll win next time too!" Ranma gave the doctor a dirty  
look.  
  
Dr. Tofu smiled at that. "I'm very impressed, Ranma. Akane  
is the undefeated Kendo, Kempo and Karate champion in this  
district. She really needs to go to the city wide meets and  
try her luck there."  
  
Akane sighed. "Not until I turn seventeen. Then I can  
compete in the adult unlimited freestyle tourneys."  
  
Ranma gave her a look of surprise. "Why wait?"  
  
"There isn't really any challenger at my age level. Just  
trashing them isn't very sporting."  
  
Ranma gave a look of understanding. "Yeah, I can understand  
that." Ranma worked on filling out the last of the  
paperwork.  
  
"Just send the bill to the dojo, Dr. Tofu. Nanami will  
handle it for him." Akane shrugged a bit.  
  
"A guest of the family?"  
  
Akane paused and then smiled sadly for just a fleeting  
moment. "Him and his father are going to be staying for a  
while. At least until we get married, I guess." Akane sidled  
a glance at Ranma, where his fingers froze as he was  
writing.  
  
Dr. Tofu blinked in surprise. "Married? When did this come  
about?"  
  
"Last night. It's a matter of honor between our families. To  
continue the dojo and our Arts." Akane couldn't help but let  
a bit of hopelessness seep into her voice.  
  
Ranma was usually as perceptive as a rock when it came to  
someone else's feelings, but even he couldn't miss Akane's  
expression. He just didn't know what to say. He handed the  
doctor the papers and then stood up.  
  
Akane waved to the doctor as they walked out, her mask of  
unconcern back on her face. Ranma tried to think of  
something that he could do to cheer her up as they walked to  
short distance home.  
  
"Hey, Akane? I was just startled earlier, when everyone  
started talking about dating and stuff. I don't mind you at  
all." Ranma fiddled with his pigtail, a very small blush on  
his cheek.  
  
Akane stared at him for a second as they continued to walk.  
Hesitatingly, a small, nervous smile broke onto her face. "R-  
really?" Akane thought for a moment. A wistful expression  
played across her face for just a second. "So where are you  
going to take me?" a hint of hope had crept into her voice.  
Maybe someone would treat her like a person, not a trophy or  
plaything to be won.  
  
Ranma took a moment to digest that. He hadn't meant that he  
wanted to go on a date! He just didn't want to see her  
upset. If he turned her down for a second time she would be  
unhappy again, he was pretty sure. "Ah, I don't know the  
places around here! I haven't ever been here before." Ranma  
paused a second. "I think so, anyways."  
  
"There's a Bruce Lee Martial Arts Movie fest at the old  
Koshikuri theater this weekend. It's only sixty-five hundred  
yen per person. It goes from early Saturday to late Sunday!"  
  
"Really? I guess we could do that," Ranma said uncertainly.  
  
"Great!" Akane didn't realize it, but she had a sunny smile  
on her face. She was wondering why Ranma had a slightly  
stupefied expression on his face, though.  
  
-  
  
Kasumi finished buttoning up her blouse. With one hand  
raised high as she stretched as she slid her glasses on. She  
looked over at Takchi with a small smile on her face. He  
looked back at her as he raked his dark hair with his hands.  
He sat up from his small futon, stretching his trim figure.  
He embodied the words `normal looking'.  
  
"I still can't believe you almost got engaged to a kid  
almost three years younger than you, Kasumi."  
  
"It's no worry. I managed to convince Father that Akane was  
a better choice. I hope she doesn't hate me for that."  
Kasumi ducked her head. "I felt like I was betraying her."  
  
Takchi swept her into a comforting embrace. "Shush now. You  
aren't trying to hurt her. You're just standing up for  
yourself. You've got college ahead of you and your career.  
You're going to be a great interior decorator. I can't see  
your father really forcing her to wed this guy if it's going  
to make her unhappy."  
  
Kasumi smiled at him. He always knew what to say to cheer  
her up. "You're right. Akane is everything to him." She slid  
her hands up his back.  
  
"Careful, you don't want to start something you aren't going  
to be able to finish."  
  
Kasumi giggled. "I thought we just did? Thanks, Takchi." She  
glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Oh, no! I've got to  
hurry if I'm going to get home on time!"  
  
Takchi laughed and released her. "I'll get you home on time.  
Though we had better leave soon."  
  
Kasumi stepped closer to the young man kissed him deeply.  
"Of course. Shall we be off?" At his nod, she dragged him  
out the door of his apartment.  
  
Takchi just smiled in resignation. That was his Kasumi.  
  
-  
  
"You're late, Nabiki," the dark hulking shadow said. The  
room she stepped into was steeped in shadows. Dim light  
could be seen in streak of sunbeams coming through the  
cracks in the boarded up windows.  
  
"I had to lose that someone that's been trying to follow me,  
Mikaru." Nabiki lit up a cigarette. "You have it?"  
  
"Yes. Do you have this weeks profits?"  
  
Nabiki nodded. A sly smile played on her face. "Don't I  
always? I'm not Toshi. He was stupid and got caught." And  
I've also got enough stashed to cover a week's loss if I do  
get caught.  
  
"Toshi didn't start out stupid. He's in prison now. Don't be  
like him and get sloppy, girl." He accepted a package from  
her while she took a slightly larger from him. It  
disappeared into her leather jacket that she wore over a T-  
shirt and jeans.  
  
Nabiki smiled and nodded again. "I'll go out the side way,  
if you don't mind. I want to make sure I'm not followed  
while I've got this much on me."  
  
"I'll meet you next week on Friday night, in the Hypnostyle  
Club." At her acknowledgement, he disappeared into the  
shadows.  
  
Nabiki didn't let his disappearance fool her. He was  
probably still watching her. She went to the side window and  
slid the board out of the way. A quick glance showed that  
she was clear. In a flash, she was down the fire escape  
quiet as you could be. She vanished into the dim alleyways  
before any unwanted eyes could follow.  
  
Once she was sure that she was clear, her hand slipped into  
her pocket and pulled out a small money purse. It only took  
her a moment to dig something out of a hidden pocket and  
swallow it. A small giggle escaped her before she could  
still it.  
  
A fierce look stole its way onto her features as a memory  
flitted through her consciousness, of her father's look of  
disapproval. "Screw you Daddy. And your little angel too."  
She slammed her fist into a boarded window, bruising her  
knuckles and smashing the board. She muttered to herself,  
"I'm strong. I'm not weak." With a small shudder, she  
renewed her walk out of the dim alleys and back to Nerima.  



	2. Kuno! Fight!

Birthright 2  
  
Tatewaki Kuno stood easily, waiting for the cretin who dared to stand  
between him and his sun, his love fore ordained. The wind moved his hair  
lightly, keeping it just out of his eyes. Half closed eyes watched as  
his love and the coward came to these hallowed halls of learning.  
  
Ah, if only the others would see that it was foolish to challenge her  
ferocity. That only he had the ability to tame her, to make her, his  
own. See her movements, mowing done the foolish and ill prepared. Now!  
Now was the moment for him to take his place on the stage called life!  
  
"Akane Tendo! Never a fairer rose did bloom, as did you this morn."  
  
"Kuno," Akane said flatly. She placed herself into a favored Kempo  
stance.  
  
"Ah, my dear flower. As always, you are prepared for the daily challenge  
that I issue to you. But worry not this fine day, for you are not the  
one that I seek to challenge. Nay, it is that common cur, known as Ranma  
Saotome that I wish to challenge this day." He paused dramatically,  
letting the wind blow through the yard, moving the grass and his kimono.  
"Accept my challenge, craven coward! Or give up thy claim to the  
beauteous Akane Tendo forever more."  
  
"You bet I accept your challenge, Kuno. I'll show..." Ranma started to  
respond loudly.  
  
"On Friday, right Ranma?" Akane pinned him with a serious glare.  
"Doctors orders. And remember what your father said?"  
  
"What? Oh, right." Ranma turned and faced Kuno with a scowl. "You got  
it, Kuno. After school, Friday!" Ranma clenched his fist tightly. He  
wanted to pound that sneer right off of his face, right now.  
  
"What? The righteous justice of heaven awaits for nothing!"  
  
Ranma started to growl as he stepped up, until he was interrupted by  
Akane and her arm, as she spoke out, "If that is the way you want it,  
Kuno, I'll champion him. It's my fault that he's injured and can't  
answer the challenge."  
  
"Hey! I can handle my own fights!"  
  
"You're not even supposed to spar for a couple of days, Ranma. And I was  
the one who hurt you, remember? So it's my fault."  
  
"Ah, for Akane Tendo to defend him because of her high standards and  
honor. The gods must weep at the wonders that still exist in this modern  
age. That such honor still exists. I shall counsel myself to patience,  
so that I might strike down the true cause of her misery. Until Friday,  
then. We shall meet on the playing field, so that all might know of my  
glorious victory." And with that, Tatewaki Kuno spun on his heel and  
strode with majesty into the school.  
  
"What a moron."  
  
"Whatever, Ranma. Let's get to class."  
  
-  
  
Nabiki drummed her pencil against the piece of paper, columns neat and  
organized. This could be fun. And a whole work week to prepare! The  
betting has already turned fierce, as many of Kuno's lackeys were  
showing their support. And just as many people who had had enough of  
Kuno were betting on the new guy who could beat Akane. The same Akane  
that never lost!  
  
Nabiki grinned in amusement. I wonder if she realizes how much Kuno lets  
up when she's fighting? Her father's other students were nothing  
compared to Kuno. Some of the moves that she'd seen him pull during  
those fights were startling, even though she knew what Akane was capable  
of.  
  
Akane was in for a nasty surprise, as was her cocky fiance. If she  
played her cards just right, she could make a bundle.  
  
Nabiki carefully put away the pad of paper and pulled out a shojo that  
she'd brought from home. Keeping an eye out for her teacher to make sure  
she wasn't caught not following the assignment, she opened up the manga,  
transporting her to a simpler time. A time when princesses were always  
protected by handsome, dashing men who thought everything of them. A  
brave resourceful princess, without a real care in the world.  
  
-  
  
Nanami hummed to herself as she finished cleaning the last dish, placing  
it with the rest so that it could dry properly. She dried her hands on  
her apron as she walked out into the main room. She glanced around. What  
to do now? Ah, there was Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome, coming in from the  
last morning class.  
  
"It's elementary, Tendo. And I'd feel rude to not help out where I  
could."  
  
"Saotome! You are a guest! I would feel wrong with you helping out with  
some of the classes."  
  
"Nonsense, we're just about family, now. And besides, it'll give me  
something to do. And something to keep me in shape!" He slapped his  
belly for effect. Genma said all of this with just a touch of humility,  
something he knew almost nothing of. This would allow him to stay in the  
best shape to start really training Ranma, once he wasn't injured  
anymore. And he would show his old friend how good Ranma really was.  
  
"Hmm, I suppose I could split a couple of the larger classes. Very well,  
you've talked me into it, Saotome old friend. But I must insist that you  
be paid for your effort."  
  
"Why, that is quite generous! What ever you think is fitting of course."  
  
Soun laughed heartily. "And I'll even let you pick up the bar tab  
sometimes!" Hanging around Genma made him feel young and alive again.  
  
"I don't know that you need to be that generous." Genma glared at his  
old friend.  
  
"Ha ha! Just checking to make sure that you really are my old friend.  
How about a game of go before lunch?"  
  
"Of course! Nanami cooks a wonderful spread!"  
  
"You are too kind, Mr. Saotome." Nanami thought to herself about the  
lunch she had prepared to make. Maybe she should make it just a bit  
bigger. He was a fairly big eater, after all. She bowed and turned to  
leave.  
  
As she started to prepare their lunch, she thought how best to raise  
some of her concerns about Nabiki to Soun. The girl was obviously in  
need of someone taking control of her life, even if it wasn't her. It  
was evident that she was heading towards a bad life. If she wasn't  
careful, she might even drop out of school.  
  
But she wasn't their mother. How was she supposed to tell Soun that he  
wasn't doing a good job of being a parent? He maintained their lifestyle  
and means. It was normally supposed to be the wife's duty to raise the  
children with proper respect and care.  
  
Nanami shook her head, saving the dish she was working on from being  
scalded. It wouldn't do to burn lunch, after all.  
  
-  
  
Akane stepped into the dojo and up to the shrine. With deft motions that  
had become routine through repetition, she lit an incense stick. She  
then clapped her hands and bowed her head. She had lost her center and  
also her focus. And with her focus, she had almost broken the promise  
that she had made to her dying mother. So each day she had rededicated  
her life to the promise and to the memory of her departed mother.  
  
Visual imagery danced in her minds eye. Petal blossoms became one with  
the swirling wind which traveled through the snow covered mountains to  
an ancient hidden valley shrine. Akane repeated the mental steps three  
more times, until she had built up her concentration to where she felt  
it needed to be for what she planned.  
  
Her bare feet slapped the wood of the dojo floor, her body flowing from  
one form to another. She had watched Ranma and his father both, seeing  
the movements that guided their strikes, their change in posture that  
signaled which directions they could best defend themselves from. She  
consciously sought to try and disseminate the basis of their styles.  
Most martial artists did this to one degree or another. What Akane was  
trying to do here was one step further, to actually try to understand  
intuitively what they would do in different situations. So that she  
could react and respond quicker to their attacks and parries.  
  
The corners of her mouth twitched slightly. Well and also learn the  
particulars about their style. In a dojo style match, it hadn't really  
helped Ranma in his fight against her. But, as she had thought about it  
later, it seemed to be much more suited to an open and mobile arena.  
Such as you would encounter outdoors, in some woods perhaps. And she  
would not be at a disadvantage when it came that time.  
  
Ranma blinked in surprise as he stepped into the dojo a few minutes  
later. "Huh?" he said to himself. What was Akane doing? He watched for a  
second, surprise growing by the second. That was a Saotome Anything Goes  
martial arts kata.  
  
Ranma frowned in thought as he noted that she wasn't doing it perfectly.  
She was really close, but some of the timing was off, her footing just a  
touch uncertain as she leaped higher into the air than she was used to.  
He could show her what was wrong, but... he wouldn't. Those were his  
families, not hers. An angry, ugly expression flashed across his face at  
his jealousy.  
  
No, he had his own practice to do. And when it came time for his rematch  
with her, he would win. He'd have to talk to Pop and see what ideas he  
had. Maybe some of the moves Ranma had developed against his father  
would work even better against Akane than his Pop.  
  
And with that final thought, Ranma slid into a smooth, flowing kata. His  
footsteps glided across the floor as he carefully worked his body keep  
its limberness and flexibility.  
  
After an hour or so, Akane moved on to one of the practice dummies. She  
stood in front of it for a few minutes slowly bringing her breathing to  
a specific rhythm. Petal blossoms became one with the wind which  
traveled through the snow covered mountains to an ancient hidden valley  
shrine, she subvocalized to herself. After a sufficient time of  
preparation, Akane pushed her body in a set of faster and faster punches  
and occasional kicks at the dummy. Breath became one with each punch and  
kick, her whole body straining to move quicker, without losing any  
technique.  
  
Ranma also moved over to one of the dummies, beginning his own speed  
training. No way was he going to let her have any advantages if he could  
help it.  
  
-  
  
Ranma and Akane came trotting into the school yard the next morning,  
just like clockwork. Akane blinked in surprise at her loss of 'students'  
as no one stepped forward to attack her. Ranma just looked around. The  
same boys were there all right, in a line ahead of them, but they seemed  
to be crying for some reason.  
  
The baseball player stepped up. "Akane Tendo. We can't stand up against  
Ranma's or Kuno's claim. It's obvious that they are the true contenders  
for your heart. So we won't harass you anymore."  
  
All of the other boy nodded their agreement.  
  
Kuno suddenly stood forward, blasting them with a withering glare and  
his shout. "How dare you put Ranma Saotome in the same lofty position  
that I hold, ill bred cretin! She is destined to become my date!"  
  
"Um, actually, I didn't say anything like that, upperclassman. We just  
don't want to get in yous guy's way. You're way better than us. You're  
the top fighter of the guys."  
  
"Hey!" Ranma exclaimed.  
  
"And the biggest pervert!"  
  
"What? Who said that?" Kuno spun around to glare at the morning crowd.  
  
"I am not going on a date with a clueless jerk like you!"  
  
Kuno took a dramatic pose the back of his hand touching his forehead.  
"Oh, that the heavens would weep so. That Akane Tendo would be so  
blinded by the evil villainy of Ranma Saotome! How must I repair that  
macabre wrongness that vexes my life?"  
  
Ranma just rolled his eyes. What an idiot. "See ya Friday, chump."  
  
"That's upperclassman to you, fiend!"  
  
-  
  
Friday morning dawned, gray and cool. After a round of sparring and  
practice with their respective fathers, Ranma and Akane headed off to  
school. They lightly bickered a bit about which Bruce Lee movie was the  
best, but mostly just to pass the time. Their morning verbal sparring  
with Kuno went by with little change, except for the fact that less  
students attended. It seemed they were really only interested in seeing  
blood.  
  
The day dragged by for Ranma, as he hyped himself for the fight. By the  
time of the end of the day, he was primed and ready, filled with energy.  
At the last bell, he was out the window and over to the playing field  
for Football, or as it was known in America, Soccer.  
  
He tapped his toes, his slight nervousness showing through. Students  
started to drift out and sit on the slight incline. Akane sat under one  
of the trees by herself, interested to see how Ranma fought someone  
other than her or his father.  
  
Several students ran up late, carrying munchies and drinks that they had  
purchased. "So who do you think is going to win?" Daisuke asked one of  
the two girls sitting next to him.  
  
Sayura tossed her head in uncertainty. "I don't know. I'm betting that  
Ranma is. How about you?" she asked in return.  
  
"I've seen Kuno go all out once. Wian never stood a chance when he tried  
to join the kendo club. So I've bet on Kuno. Nabiki is giving Ranma  
poorer odds to win, too." Diasuke nodded knowingly.  
  
Hiroshi spoke up suddenly, "Yeah, and we all know that Nabiki is usually  
on the know about who's best and all."  
  
Yuka sniggered and then piped up, "But Kuno's never beat Akane. Never  
even came close."  
  
"You didn't know? Kuno always holds back when he's fighting a girl,"  
Daisuke replied to her.  
  
"Well, he can't be holding back that much," Yuka said with a glare.  
  
"Wanna bet?"  
  
Sayura and Yuka glanced at each other. Sayura nodded. With a smile, Yuka  
responded, "Sure. How much?"  
  
"Two thousand yen on the bet that Kuno beats Ranma handily, without  
hardly getting hit."  
  
"You're on!" both girls chorused.  
  
"What?" Whatever Daisuke was going to say, was interrupted as Tatewaki  
Kuno finally arrived, backed by the members of the kendo club.  
  
Ranma tightened his clenched fists and then relaxed. He stood at the  
center of the field. "I was starting to wonder if you were gonna show  
up, Kuno."  
  
"That's upperclassman to the likes of you, Saotome. Know this, that on  
this day, Akane Tendo shall be freed of her unwanted engagement to Ranma  
Saotome when I vanquish him on this field of battle. Then she becomes  
free to date me again, as she must secretly wish!" Kuno proclaimed  
loudly.  
  
Akane's face started to turn an interesting shade of purple. How dare  
he? That male chauvinistic creep!  
  
"You're on, Kuno. Like she'd even want to be seen with a jerk like you."  
  
"How dare you! Defend yourself, varlet!" And with that Kuno struck out  
in a basic over-handed cut with his bokken, which Ranma sidestepped  
easily with a yawn.  
  
Kuno recovered and tried a diagonal swipe, which Ranma flipped over,  
spinning upside down to bounce away on one hand. The crowd gaped in  
surprise, including Nabiki. Ranma was doing better than she thought he  
would.  
  
"Ha, a cowardly way to fight, Saotome. I see that I shall have to  
unleash my ultimate technique upon you!"  
  
Ranma smirked in response. Kuno closed again, unleashing a flurry of  
attacks, his bokken stabbing the air in a blindingly fast pattern,  
almost overtaking Ranma's effort to dodge him. Two tears appeared in  
Ranma's shirt before he could back away in a roll.  
  
Twenty feet behind Ranma, the ground was being torn up as if being  
struck by an invisible rotor-tiller. Dirt was being kicked up in a  
jagged line, causing several people to scamper to safety.  
  
"Wow! Just from the air pressure alone!" a student exclaimed.  
  
Akane gaped in surprise. When had Kuno gotten this good? Wheels turned  
in her mind, as she realized that...  
  
"Wow! I guess Kuno's been holding back a lot against Akane! I wonder if  
she can beat him when he goes all out like this?" Hiroshi blurted out,  
flicking some dirt out of his hair. Akane stared daggers at him for that  
comment.  
  
When he took up his stance, Ranma's face showed none of the humor from  
before. Kuno was much better than he had let on before. "Not bad, Kuno.  
But not nearly good enough, either."  
  
"Ha, so says you! I have drawn first blood! My fighting spirit hungers  
to finish this battle!"  
  
"Fine! Hya!" Ranma cried out, lightning punctuating his charge. A  
whisper of approaching rain heralded his streaking attack.  
  
Kuno blinked in surprise, bringing his blade up to defend himself.  
Droplets of rain seemed to splash in slow motion as the figure in front  
of him struck again and again. The punches were easily blocked, but Kuno  
only barely saw Ranma right leg lash out in a blizzard of kicks. Kuno  
could dimly feel each hit strike as Ranma was suddenly behind him.  
  
The thunder finally crashed, rolling over the field, silencing everyone.  
  
Nabiki yelped in surprise, "What?!?" No way! No freaking way!  
  
The crowd gasped in shock Tatewaki Kuno, undisputed man of the campus,  
crumpled onto his face.  
  
They gasped again, as Ranma's figure blurred in the light rain,  
shrinking and becoming more feminine.  
  
Yuka managed to stutter out, "Ranma just turned into a girl!"  
  
Ranma's new smile fell as she realized what had just happened.  
Uncertainty flickered across her face, until something else grabbed  
everyone's attention.  
  
Everyone's sight was riveted to the furiously glowing black-haired girl.  
Such was the power of her aura that no one could look away, until Akane  
turned on her heel and stalked off. The quiet hiss of the rain was  
broken as Akane punched an unoffending tree in two pieces that just  
happened to be near her as she walked home.  
  
"Whoa! Is she pissed!" was all Daisuke managed to get out.  
  
That snapped the rest of the students out of their stupor, as a herd of  
people headed towards the stunned Nabiki. Her look of consternation was  
a salve for many of these same people that she had fleeced in the past.  
  
"Hey! Akane! Wait up!" Ranma cried out, sprinting after her departing  
fiancee.  
  
"Oh, by the way, Daisuke. Pay up please!"  
  
"Yeah!" Yuka piped up.  
  
"Well, uh, I didn't thing you were both betting me. Heh, heh. I, uh,  
don't have enough for both of you right now."  
  
Yuka and Sayura took up identical 'thinker' poses. Then the same evil  
grin appeared on both of their faces. "Don't worry, Daisuke. I'm sure we  
can come to some agreement, right Yuka?"  
  
"Right, Sayura."  
  
A deep, hollow feeling filled Daisuke's stomach. He had a very bad  
feeling about this now. "Sure!" he responded glibly.  
  
-  
  
"Akane! Wait up! Jeez, what's wrong with you? You're acting more goofy  
than normal!"  
  
Akane snapped to a halt and spun around. "Don't start with me right now,  
Ranma! I've just found out that Kuno is so sexist that he won't even  
really fight me. Like I'm some weak wallflower! I bet you would too, if  
it wouldn't make you look bad!"  
  
"Hey! That's not true! You're probably the toughest fighter that I've  
run into that isn't my old man."  
  
"Hmphf. So you say."  
  
"Jeez, you can be so obnoxious sometimes!" A thoughtful expression  
fluttered across her face. "Say, Akane? What am I going to tell people  
when they ask about my curse?"  
  
"Just tell them the truth, jerk. Or are you afraid some boy is going to  
hit on you?" Akane turned back towards home and quickened her pace.  
  
"I am not scared! Ooh, gross." Ranma paused a second, looking around.  
"I'm a guy, even if I turn into a girl because of this stupid curse. No  
way am I gonna ever let some dweeb hit on me." Her trotting figure  
showed how female she was.  
  
"Then don't be a weenie. Just tell them the truth and the problems  
solved."  
  
"Ah, man. They're all gonna think I'm weird."  
  
"You are weird Ranma."  
  
"You can be soooo uncute!"  
  
"Shut up, dumb ass."  
  
"Ha, make me, you tomboy!"  
  
"Grr!"  
  
-  
  
Nanami heard the sound of Ranma and Akane arguing even before she heard  
the door slam shut from their entry. She sighed and then brightened.  
They didn't seem to be quite so loud this time. A few times this week  
they had come in the door screaming and yelling, their fathers having to  
separate them.  
  
As if on cue, Genma shouted out, "Ranma! You should treat your fiancee  
with more respect!"  
  
"Akane! Ranma is your fiance! How are the schools going to be joined if  
you keep up this behavior!"  
  
"Can it, old man! You're just lucky that I'm not headed back to China  
already!"  
  
"Da-ad! Will you stop that! I am not marrying him!"  
  
"Oh, the shame! That my daughter would act so shamefully!"  
  
Two crashes shook the house as both fathers were kicked out into the  
side yard, splashing down in the koi pond.  
  
"You're not getting off that easy, Pop!" the female Ranma cried out at  
she charged outside.  
  
Nanami sighed. Some things haven't changed, it seemed. So she can be  
forgiven for being startled when Akane suddenly piped up from behind  
her. "Mrs. Naoka? I'm sorry to bug you, but I kind of need a favor."  
  
Nanami smiled and responded as her hands steadied themselves. "What can  
I do, Akane?"  
  
"I need something for tomorrow and I need your help."  
  
"Well, if I can, I'll see what I can do. Why don't you tell Nanami what  
you need."  
  
"Thanks, Nana. You're always there to help out."  
  
Nanami rested up against the counter as Akane rattled on. Her old bones  
weren't getting any younger. It's a good thing that Akane was almost an  
adult. It really was time that she started to think about retiring. This  
had been a good idea, eight years ago. She had needed something to get  
her mind off of her husband when he passed away.  
  
-  
  
Ranma awoke as he normally did, dodging an attack by his father. Every  
since Dr. Tofu's no sparring rule had been rescinded, his father had  
been almost merciless as a taskmaster. Their morning sparring matches  
had been just more intense. He frowned when he remembered something that  
Soun had mentioned yesterday, how Akane's and his training had become  
harder too.  
  
He paid for that momentary lapse of concentration as Genma kick plowed  
through his defenses, sending him sprawling into the pond.  
  
Genma frowned as he landed lightly on a rock next to the pond. When  
Ranma's head surfaced, he went into his full blown ranting mode. "This  
is the sort of thing that allowed Akane to defeat you, boy! You might  
have managed to avoid my wrath by pulling off a win the next day, but  
this is abysmal! To think that you would let a girl defeat you in the  
first place. Oh, that my son is so weak!"  
  
Ranma's temper, rarely the best controlled thing to begin with, snapped.  
"Ha! I'll show you and everyone else. No way am I gonna take a back seat  
to Akane!" Ranma ducked a kick that Genma sent his way. Ranma unleashed  
a flurry of punches and kicks at Genma.  
  
Genma rolled away and bounced backwards too fast for her to follow. "Oh,  
and how are you going to do that?"  
  
"I ain't been sitting on my duff! I've been training extra hard!"  
  
Genma folded his arms across his chest. "So has she. So?"  
  
"I've got a plan, ok?" Ranma put on a hurt, but determined expression  
and stomped back in to the house, dripping water onto the mats.  
  
"Please use the towel, Ranma." Nanami handed Ranma a towel. Nanami  
poured some hot water over her head. Then Ranma used the towel to dry  
her hair and pat herself somewhat dry. Ranma handed the towel back to  
her absently as he plunked down at his normal seat at the table.  
  
Ranma glanced over in surprise at the empty spot where Akane usually  
sat. He didn't hear the sounds of anyone practicing in the dojo. Mr.  
Tendo was sitting on his side of the table, flipping through the  
newspaper. On Saturdays, he didn't have an early morning class so he  
could eat with the family.  
  
"Say! Where's Akane?" Ranma asked.  
  
Genma shrugged his shoulders as he sat down. Nabiki continued to slurp  
her soup, avoiding looking over at the unwanted houseguest that had cost  
her a quite hefty sum of money yesterday. Soun tilted his head, folding  
the newspaper a bit so you could see him.  
  
Nanami smiled brightly, "Oh! Akane's left for school already! She said  
she had a special project that she needed to work on."  
  
Soun wagged mustache for a second, creases appearing on his brow. "Akane  
left for school this early? Usually she's practicing for another twenty  
minutes. Was she feeling all right, Nanami?"  
  
"Why, yes, she seemed fine."  
  
Kasumi walked in, taking her seat at the table. She yawned and  
stretched. With that she picked up her chopsticks and started eating.  
  
"Huh. Ok, I guess. I'm gonna go take a bath and then head off to school.  
See ya around noon." Ranma bounced to his feet and trotted out of the  
room, having finished his eating in record time even for him.  
  
Nabiki finished slurping her soup and got up to leave. She snagged her  
leather jacket and left. The door slammed in the background, much more  
noisily than normal for Nabiki.  
  
Kasumi blinked in surprise, glancing in the doorways direction. "My,  
that was odd. I wonder what's wrong with Nabiki?"  
  
Soun just made a humphing sound from behind his paper. His middle  
daughter was not one of his favorite breakfast topics.  
  
Nanami picked up the dishes that Ranma and Nabiki had left. She paused  
just before she stepped into the hallway. "I don't know. She's been  
acting upset since yesterday. I forgot to ask Akane if anything bad  
happened to her at school."  
  
Kasumi wrinkled her nose at the smell of the soup. "I'm not feeling very  
hungry. I'll grab something at school later, all right?"  
  
Soun made a vague noise of acknowledgement as he turned the paper.  
  
-  
  
Ranma trotted along at full tilt towards school. He was actually a few  
minutes early himself. As he rounded the corner, he spotted his least  
liked acquaintance from school stepping out into his path.  
  
"Hold, Saotome! I understand that you have been spreading lies about me,  
that you vanquished me with unseeming ease! I can not let these lies  
exist, for they are an afront to the heavens itself."  
  
"Stuff it, Kuno! Take your loss like a man, instead of whining about  
it."  
  
"You dare speak to me so! And that is upperclassman to you!"  
  
"Do you want some more, Kuno? I can take you any time of the day." Ranma  
let go of his backpacks shoulder straps, dropping into a fighting  
stance.  
  
Kuno tightened the grip on his bokken, eyes narrowing.  
  
"STOP!" a voice suddenly called out.  
  
Kuno and Ranma spun face the person who had just interrupted their  
fight. He leaped down easily from the ground's wall, tabi boots gripping  
the grass easily. The shorter young, lanky man was garbed in the  
traditional practice outfit of a kendoist. His gray hakima was gathered  
up into his tight boots, his purple kimono was wrapped in such a way  
that his sleeves would not be caught up. He wore the traditional leather  
breastplate and kendo helmet and leaned a bokken lightly over his left  
shoulder with his hand.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Ranma snapped out. "I'm trying to fight here."  
  
"Indeed, as Saotome so uncouthly asks, who are you?"  
  
"I am Rasika Detsuta, high school kendo champion of Tomobiko. I had  
heard of this one's skills," he said, pointing at Kuno, "and wish to  
challenge him. Unless he's too busy, of course," Rasika said in a low,  
sarcastic drawl.  
  
Ranma just shrugged. No skin off his nose if someone wanted to challenge  
Kuno.  
  
"Ah, that my legend has become so widespread, that my challengers should  
flock from miles around to fight me! Of course! I shall deal with this  
honorless dog after I have defeated you." Kuno took a moment to flick  
his bangs dramatically with his fingers. "It is nice to see someone of  
culture, who takes the history of our fair country as seriously as I."  
Kuno wasn't even slightly ruffled. Obviously someone who relied on the  
armor to serve as protection.  
  
"Hah! You are so full of it Kuno!" Ranma sniped.  
  
Kuno snapped a glare at Ranma, but was interrupted by Rasika, when he  
called out, "Ready?"  
  
"Ready!"  
  
And with that, the two figures charged each other across the open grass.  
Time seemed to stand still as both figures passed one another, blades of  
wood striking out.  
  
Kuno stumbled in surprise. His foe's blade was strong enough to  
withstand his might! This was a true battle to test his mettle. He  
turned back to see his foe already charging him, bokken flickering in a  
tight pattern.  
  
He back peddled quickly, managing to block all but a weak blow that  
ripped his left sleeve by his shoulder. Rasika stopped his attack,  
letting Kuno get a bit of breathing room.  
  
"First blood goes to you, my foe-man! Such a worthy challenge!"  
  
"Fight!" Rasika barked out.  
  
Kuno obliged, sending a series of stunning attacks that Rasika had a  
problem blocking. Suddenly on the defensive, Rasika lost ground and took  
a small hit. Kuno let him recover, feeling magnanimous.  
  
"That was a weak hit. I thought you were better than that, Kuno." Rasika  
changed his posture to a crouch, holding his bokken above his head.  
  
Kuno just glowered in response.  
  
Again they charged at each other, trading strikes and blows that were  
caught perfectly. Again and again they would meet one another and then  
pull back. But each time, Kuno came out with one new tear in his outfit.  
Finally, having enough of this, Kuno used his final attack, speeding up  
an already insanely fast battle.  
  
Rasika almost didn't react fast enough and actually missed the first  
blow of hardened air. It struck with stunning force, shattering his  
breastplate. Through his mask, you could see him grit his teeth,  
obviously taking a stunning blow.  
  
But even so, he continued to block the strikes. Kuno's confident grin  
failed him, as Rasika retaliated with his own blindingly fast strikes.  
The air crackled from the blows, as a sudden wind was generated by their  
fierce fighting. The ground in between them was being smashed by the  
air.  
  
Suddenly, Rasika took to the air leaping over Kuno's head.  
  
Their fight continued non-stop, even during that leap, as Kuno adjusted  
to the odd fighting style. Each one was struck by a blow, Rasika being  
knocked savagely with a hit to the back of the shoulders, while Kuno  
took a blow to his sword arm. A two foot piece of black rope fell to the  
ground behind Rasika as he rolled to his feet.  
  
Both took a moment to recover, but Rasika reacted faster. "Enough of  
this!" Rasika attacked one handed with the bokken, fist and feet  
blurring, surprising the kendoist. He had just a moment to realize that  
he had again been struck in most of his soft spots across his body.  
  
Kuno collapsed onto his face. The crowd behind him broke into a cheer.  
Rasika relaxed, his breathing slow and steady.  
  
"He's even better than Kuno, too?" Nabiki stuttered out. This couldn't  
be happening again! Several of her friends nodded dumbly in response.  
  
Yuka sighed dreamily. So dashing and mysterious, his features still  
hidden behind his kendo helmet. Maybe she could get his phone number!  
  
Ranma whistled softly in appreciation as he walked up to Rasika. "You  
could have won at any time, couldn't you?"  
  
Rasika looked at Ranma levelly and responded in her normal voice, "Yes."  
She then removed her helmet and wiped her brow.  
  
"Akane? What the? That was you?" Ranma stuttered. Something didn't look  
right though. Something about her appearance was different.  
  
"Yeah? What of it? I knew the only way Kuno would fight me all out was  
to disguise myself as a boy. It worked. Now no one can say that I can't  
beat Kuno fairly." Akane had a very set expression on her face.  
  
Kuno groaned on the ground behind her, catching her attention. She  
turned and faced towards him. Slowly, Kuno stumbled to his feet.  
  
"Impossible," he wheezed. "It must be some form of trickery."  
  
"Oh, shut your male chauvinistic pig mouth, Kuno! I beat you fair and  
square. Just like Ranma beat you yesterday."  
  
Ranma nodded in approval.  
  
"Akane Tendo? You are garbed as that cad Rasika, who has fled from my  
wrath!" Kuno's expression was confused.  
  
"Get a clue, Kuno. I was pretending to be Rasika so that you would  
really fight me."  
  
"What? That was you?" Kuno paused again. "Of course it was you! I knew  
all along!"  
  
"Oh, brother. Yeah, right, Kuno."  
  
"Hey, Akane! What happened to your hair?" Ranma asked suddenly.  
  
"I just did it up in a braid, Ranma." Akane rolled her eyes.  
  
"Ah." Ranma reached down to pick something off the ground. "I don't  
think so."  
  
Akane blinked and then reached up behind her head to check her hair. "My  
hair?" It was gone, from just below they neck. She'd been working for a  
long time to make it long enough to get Dr. Tofu's attention. He just  
didn't seem attracted to her. She had thought that maybe if she looked  
more 'womanly' that maybe he would notice her. A foolish hope, she knew.  
She had a niggling suspicion that he just didn't see her as anything  
other than a patient.  
  
Her attention was dragged back to the present, as the school bell  
chimed. She would have to deal with her loss later.  
  
With a shake of her head, she strode off to change before class.  
  
Ranma stared after her for a second, and then down at the rope of hair  
in his hands. He couldn't understand why she had a look of sadness when  
she looked down at her hair.  
  
Why was it so important?  
  
He was answered by a hushed conversation between Yuka and Sayura as they  
walked by him to go to class. "I can't believe her hair! How can she  
stand to be in public?" Yuka said quietly.  
  
Sayura responded, "I know I'd be mortified to be caught out in public  
with such a bad haircut."  
  
He strained his ears, hoping to pick out a bit more. He looked back to  
the hair in his hands. "Maybe it's a girl thing," he muttered. Girls  
always seemed to care about their appearance. And Akane was a girl, even  
if she was almost as good as me, he thought.  
  
He left that mystery for the future as he dashed into school.  
  
-  
  
The bell chimed for the end of the day, letting loose the throngs of  
school children. Most met in twos and threes, plans for the rest of the  
weekend already set. Ranma stood leaning up against the wall next to the  
school exit. His backpack was one his back, thumbs under his shoulder  
straps as he glanced around in seeming nonchalance. Akane had gone to  
her home economics for her last class, while he had gone to his normal  
woodcrafts class.  
  
Ranma blinked a couple times, as he saw Akane finally walk out, now  
wearing her school uniform. She carried her book bag in one hand, the  
other toted a tangled pile of clothes and kendo gear haphazardly.  
"Ready?"  
  
"Sure. Need to drop that stuff off at home?"  
  
"Um hmm. It's on the way to the theatre," Akane replied as she shrugged  
her shoulders. They set off down the road at a sedate pace. Akane tried  
to hide her morose expression.  
  
Ranma sneaked a glance, pretending to check the area as he checked out  
Akane. Akane saw him, but ignored his looking at her. If he made any  
wisecracks about her hair, she'd just pound him.  
  
Huh, must have got her hair cut some time during school. Ranma cleared  
his throat silently. "Um, that shorter cut looks good on you." Akane's  
hair was now cut evenly just above her shoulders.  
  
Akane arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Really?" Ranma was being nice?  
Well, it wasn't like he could be a jerk all the time.  
  
Ranma flushed for a second as he suddenly found his collar too tight.  
"Yeah, it makes you look kind of cute."  
  
Akane stopped, flabbergasted. She put her hand to her hair self-  
consciously. "You're not just saying that, are you?"  
  
"Ah? Why?"  
  
Akane blushed deeply, embarrassed that Ranma could get that sort of  
reaction out of her. A small smile stole across her face.  
  
Ranma grinned to himself, then quickly changing his expression to a much  
more studied face. She looked a lot cuter when she smiled. It almost  
seemed like smiling was something foreign to her. But it didn't matter.  
He still wasn't going to marry her. "It was nothing, really! You just  
looked like you needed cheering up."  
  
Akane noted the change, quickly looking away. She shook her head  
suddenly. She wasn't going to mope around. She wasn't a weak little  
girly girl.  
  
Out of the side of her eyesight, she saw that Ranma was just ambling  
along on the top of the fence without a care in the world. Nothing  
indeed! She hefted her backpack onto her shoulder and took out her  
bokken out of the pile. She walked for another half block, not saying  
anything. There, that's where she wanted.  
  
Ranma relaxed. It didn't appear that Akane was going to be doing  
anything. For a second there, he'd thought that she was going to hit him  
with that bokken or something.  
  
"Oh, Ranma?" Akane piped up suddenly in a too cutesy voice. Ranma  
glanced her way, unconcern evident on his face. "Think fast!" And with  
that, Akane stabbed out with the bokken in an oddly familiar pattern.  
  
Ranma ducked and weaved, dodging the invisible blows of air. "Ha! That  
didn't work when Kuno tried it! What makes you thi-ink, whoa! Agk!"  
Ranma suddenly found the top bar of the chain link fence suddenly broken  
under his feet, which had been Akane's true target after she had  
unbalanced Ranma.  
  
Arms and legs flailing, Ranma landed in the shallow water of the canal.  
Sputtering in outrage as she sat in the water, Ranma glared at the  
school girl smirking at him through the fence.  
  
"Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Ranma. You're pretty cute too." Akane  
started to giggle at the red heads discomfited expression.  
  
"Why'dja go and do that? And I take that back! You aren't cute at all!"  
Ranma hopped up on the broken fence, maintaining her precarious perch  
easily. She shook her fist at Akane.  
  
"Nyah!" Akane stuck her tongue out and bolted to a nearby rooftop.  
  
"Come back here!"  
  
-  
  
Nanami tilted her head to hear better. That sounded like Akane and  
Ranma. And fighting again, of course.  
  
"Stay out of my room!"  
  
Nanami winced as the sound of a slamming door could be heard upstairs.  
That's funny, she didn't remember hearing the front door open.  
  
"Like I'd want to go into your room!" Ranma said halfheartedly. She  
trudged back downstairs to change and shower, as the furo was being  
repaired. Dang she was fast. I didn't catch up to her the whole time  
home. Almost did once, though!  
  
About five minutes later, both of them met up downstairs. Their unease  
grew as they were set on by their fathers. Ranma was wearing a blue  
shirt this time. Akane was dressed casually, in jeans and loose T-shirt.  
Ranma tried to remember if Akane had worn any other dresses other than  
her school ones.  
  
"Ranma! What did you do this time?" Genma yelled out, sending a quick  
punch at Ranma's face.  
  
Ranma ducked and tossed his father out towards the koi pond. "I ain't  
done nothing!" Ranma followed up with a bounce kick off of his fathers  
head. Genma fell back and splashed into the pond, sending water towards  
a frantically dodging Ranma.  
  
"Akane! Of course it's all right for your fiance to go into your room!  
How is he supposed to get to know you better?" Soun asked, crossing his  
arms across his chest. He still sat at the small shogi table.  
  
"My room?" Akane screeched. "Get to know me better?" Akane's shoulders  
started to shake in anger.  
  
"I'm sure it would be a quiet place to study and talk." Soun had closed  
his eyes and sat back slightly. "You two need to do something other than  
spar or fight."  
  
Akane's anger deflated as her father's words sank in. "Oh. I thought you  
meant something... else. Um, actually, Ranma and I were going to go to a  
Bruce Lee film festival today." Akane picked her most cutesy expression  
and wheedling voice. "Can I have some extra money for food?"  
  
Soun's eyes popped open. "A date?" he stuttered in surprise.  
  
"It is not a date, dad! We're just going to some movies!" Akane said  
petulantly.  
  
"Yeah! No way I'd go on a date with some macho tomboy!" Ranma replied,  
ducking a sign from the panda that emerged from the pond. Unnoticed by  
everyone, the sign had the phrase 'Date?' on it. He trotted back up to  
the house, being chased by a slower moving panda.  
  
Akane glared at Ranma. "What did you call me, twerp?"  
  
Soun had had enough. His palm slammed into the table, his eyes alight  
with anger. "That is quite enough, you two. Quit acting like squabbling  
little children. You shame me and this household," Soun thundered  
loudly.  
  
Both of the kids stopped and looked at each other angrily. Slowly the  
anger seeped out of them. Flushing in embarrassment, they both bowed and  
said, "Sorry."  
  
"That's better. Go on and have fun. I don't want to hear about any  
fighting or arguing." Soun took out his wallet and handed Akane a  
generous fold of bills.  
  
"Thanks, Dad." Akane nodded her head, face still blushing. She retreated  
quickly to the front door and slipped on some heavy sandals.  
  
Ranma was right behind her. "Ah! Bye!"  
  
Soun sighed as he heard them start back up outside.  
  
"This is all your fault, Ranma!"  
  
"My fault? What did I do?"  
  
Genma sat back down at his side of the table, looking over the game.  
They'd have to start over, it looked like.  
  
"They seem to enjoy fighting, don't they? Each other, us and the  
engagement. I'm sure it will work out in the end. They do really seem to  
like each other."  
  
Genma nodded in response. He then whipped out a sign that had scrawled  
over it, 'You're turn!'  
  
-  
  
Nabiki stormed home after parting ways with her 'friends' not much  
later. The door slammed, its wood cracking slightly from the force of  
the blow.  
  
"Damn him. Damn her!" Nabiki muttered to herself. The thudding of her  
footsteps could be heard all through the house as Nabiki went to her  
room. She took a moment to lock her door and sit down on her bed.  
  
She reached under a set of magazines that lay strewn across her floor,  
extracting her account books. She had her wallet out and a small  
notebook, with a list of IOU's circled in red. Unfortunately, those were  
people she owed. She knew she was fairly lucky that some people had  
actually bet that Kuno was going to win in the Ranma/Kuno match.  
  
Now she regretted harping up the fight for the whole week, as the actual  
amounts that had been bet had been fairly high. It took her a few  
minutes to calculate and figure out her balance. The amount was fairly  
unsettling. She had been so sure that Kuno would have been able to beat  
Ranma handily. That's why she had given Ranma such decent odds. She  
whistled in awe for just a second as she finished up.  
  
She had just lost eighty-nine thousand yen in one betting pool. She was  
very thankful that she'd had that reserve, just in case. Nabiki  
extracted the shoebox out from under her bed and counted out the money.  
She looked down in discouragement at the small amount of bills left  
over.  
  
"Gah! I can't believe that jerk cost me that much money!" Nabiki  
exclaimed. Her head throbbed, signaling that a headache was on its way.  
She listened carefully, hearing the sounds of cooking downstairs and her  
father talking to someone. Stuffing the money in her wallet, she shoved  
the shoebox back under the bed.  
  
She slid open the drawer on the nightstand next to her bed, pawing  
through the different bottles of vitamins until she came to one in the  
back. The label was torn and ripped up. With a furtive glance around,  
she pulled out a pill and noted that she was going to need to buy some  
more for herself. Only four left.  
  
She grimaced at that expense. She was not a junkie. It was just very  
nice to have some sort of escape from the stress in her life and her  
family. Maybe she should go easy for a while. Just to show that she  
could.  
  
She popped one pill and closed up the bottle. She grabbed her latest  
stack of magazines and shojo's off the nightstand and started to thumb  
through them.  
  
Pretty soon the sounds of giggling wafted out. How the heck did the  
princess get into that sort of problem, any ways?  
  
-  
  
"It's your fault we're late!"  
  
"Why's it always my fault! You were the one that had to drop of that  
stuff at home!"  
  
Akane tried to find some flaw in that logic. "Well, you didn't need to  
buy such a big thing of popcorn."  
  
"I like popcorn! It ain't my fault they have highway robbers behind the  
counter!"  
  
"Considering your dad didn't give you any money! Some people!" Akane  
fumed. She really wasn't in that bad of a mood. But appearances had to  
be maintained. No way was she getting married to anyone any time soon.  
  
Ranma was enjoying himself. Akane was fairly nice to be around when it  
didn't deal with martial arts. Sure they argued, but Ranma didn't  
remember a time when he hadn't argued with his father and friends. It  
was just part of life. "My Pop just started to teach at the dojo. He  
ain't even been paid, so how can he give me any money?"  
  
Akane growled in mock anger. She had actually been quite surprised to  
find out that Genma had taken up some of the teaching chores around the  
dojo during the day. She was interrupted by the start of the second  
movie.  
  
Ranma just munched on some of his popcorn. He had always liked Bruce  
Lee. He set the huge bucket of pop corn on his armrest so that Akane  
could reach over and get some if she wanted any.  
  
Pretty soon they were enmeshed in yet another struggle of good against  
evil, where good was, of course, the best martial artist. Evil criminals  
and assassins fell to the hero as he struggled to free his kidnapped  
love.  
  
Akane slowly reached out and put her hand in to grab some popcorn. She  
and Ranma both jerked their hand out of the popcorn in surprise.  
  
"Ah."  
  
"Um," Ranma replied dumbly. For some reason he was blushing as hard as  
Akane. It must be from embarrassment. That's got to be it.  
  
Right.  
  
They went back to watching the movie, sneaking glances at each other the  
entire time. They caught each other looking over at them at different  
times. Neither one was sure of what to make of it. Did it mean that the  
other one really did kind of care? Or was it just an unwanted touch?  
  
They spent the next two movies trying to decide that. It was an  
agonizing, trying to figure this sort of thing. Ranma wondered why there  
wasn't a martial arts dating technique.  
  
Ranma tried to get just a little more soda from his depleted drink. He  
wrinkled his nose and swallowed. Boy his mouth was dry.  
  
Akane thought about it a second. She decided to see was would happen.  
Without appearing to look at him, she held out her drink in a silent  
offer.  
  
Ranma stared at the cup for a second. His eyes darted to Akane for a  
second and then slowly took the cup and a quick sip. He handed the cup  
back immediately.  
  
Akane set her drink back in her holder, slouching a bit more to get  
comfortable. The edges of her mouthed fought not to twitch into a smile.  
This was nice, she thought to herself.  
  
Ranma was now doubly confused. She shared her drink with him, but now  
seemed to be ignoring him. He wasn't terribly sure of what to do in this  
situation. He moved the popcorn out of the way. He gulped inaudibly.  
  
Akane sighed later on that morning. The next movie was one that she  
owned on video tape at home. She was going to be bored to death watching  
it. She leaned up against Ranma's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Wake me  
up for the next movie, ok? I've seen this one a dozen times." She tried  
to will herself to relax.  
  
Ranma nodded absently. After about fifteen minutes his eyes began to  
droop too. He carefully slouched a bit into the seat and leaned back  
into Akane.  
  
They were both startled awake by a flashlight from one of the chaperones  
about a half an hour later. "Hey, no sleeping, kids!"  
  
"Ah, sorry!" Ranma babbled out.  
  
Akane just ducked her head. What would the attendant think of her?  
  
They scrambled out of their chairs to go buy some more drinks and  
stretch. They just stood out in the lobby for a minute, just stretching.  
  
"Wow, it's morning already. I don't know if I want to watch any more  
movies. Ten is a lot."  
  
Akane nodded. "Why don't we head back and get a nap. Then we can spend  
the rest of the day sparring."  
  
Ranma frowned for a second and then smiled. "Sure. Why not?" Ranma  
opened the door for Akane and stepped into the pale predawn mist.  
  
Akane stepped out and then looked over her shoulder for a second. She  
had a questioning look on her face. Should she? Her fingers twitched for  
a second. Akane decided that that might be a bit too forward. She tucked  
her hands into her pockets and started to walk home.  
  
Ranma walked up besides her, breathing in the cool air. They just ambled  
along in peace and quiet, not wishing to disturb the tranquility that  
existed between them right then.  
  
-  
  
The warm wood of the dojo was softly illuminated by the late morning  
sun, coming in though the doors and open screens. Ranma and Akane were  
wearing their gi's, swinging punches and kicks at a furious pace. They  
broke apart suddenly to take a breather.  
  
"So, any idea why our fathers got so drunk last night?"  
  
"Nope. Probably my old man talked yours into it. He drinks like a fish  
if he gets the chance."  
  
Akane frowned. "Doesn't that dull his reflexes at all?" She stretched  
her shoulders.  
  
"Nah, not really. He can still beat me, even when slightly drunk. And  
you never can be sure with him when he's really drunk. Pop's sneaky that  
way. Everything is training to him."  
  
"Sounds like my father. Pushing me to be the best and all."  
  
"Nah! That's me and my pop."  
  
Akane snickered silently. "Oh, I don't know. I've still got two wins to  
your one."  
  
Ranma's brow creased in concentration. "Whatcha talking about? You only  
beat me once. I can beat you anytime. Look at how fast I beat Kuno in  
comparison to you."  
  
"Yeah, right! Besides, I beat you twice the first day you showed up. And  
I was stringing Kuno along to learn that air pressure trick."  
  
"Huh? That first fight doesn't count. I was in my cursed form."  
  
Akane scowled at him as she wiped her forehead. "Why not? What does  
being a girl have to do with anything? Or are you going to lose any  
fight if you happen to get wet? It's your own fault if you don't train  
your girl side up to speed." Slacker.  
  
"That isn't true! Besides, I'm weaker when I'm a girl!" Ranma yelled  
back.  
  
"Guess all anyone has to do is to fight outside in the rain to get a win  
out of you. Besides, I'm better than you. And I'm a girl," Akane  
retorted.  
  
"I can beat you, any day!" Ranma's face was contorting into an ugly  
mask.  
  
"Why? Just because I'm a girl?" Akane yelled straight back in his face,  
stepping into his personal space. Her face was flushed.  
  
"I didn't say that!"  
  
"No, you're insinuating it!"  
  
"Well, you've led a pampered life. I mean, look at the nice home you've  
got here. Not like me and my pop, living on the road for the last ten  
years."  
  
"I'm not pampered! I've gone through a lot for the art!" Akane shouted  
into his face.  
  
"Hah! Like you'd know hardship if it bit you in the ass."  
  
Akane's fiery anger fanned into a cold rage. "I challenge you, Ranma  
Saotome. Back up you're words, wussy boy," Akane said in a tightly  
controlled tone. She stepped back into a fighting stance, hands raised  
defensively.  
  
Ranma gulped, trying to get a hold of his anger. "Fine!" he spat out  
finally. "I accept, you butch tomboy."  
  
They circled each other warily. They tested out each other's defenses,  
slowly increasing the speed and the tempo of the fight. Punches and  
kicks flickered back and forth. They each upped the ante, striking  
harder and faster. Blows traded back and forth as they moved from one  
side of the dojo to the other, Akane giving ground slightly, leading the  
fight in a slow circle.  
  
Ranma pushed himself, adrenaline singing in his blood. He'd managed to  
catch Akane unawares a couple of times with those counters to the  
Saotome Anything Goes style that he had worked with his father on. He  
grimaced in pain from a couple of particularly painful punches to his  
abdomen. She must have managed to find a couple of holes in his defense.  
Genma was going to push him even harder for that.  
  
Akane ignored the trickle of blood coming out of her lip. Ranma had  
planned for this fight, she saw. A couple of those counters only worked  
on someone who used his family's style. Some of her training seemed to  
be working, as she'd managed to effectively second guess him a couple of  
times to get clean, hard blows in.  
  
This continued for minutes, blows, grunts and heavy breathing being the  
only sounds in the dojo. Throws followed punches and grabs. Rolling  
bodies bounced to their feet, leaving no opening for attack.  
  
Akane's world focussed down to just Ranma while expanding to encompass  
the immediate area. Her breathing changed rhythm as subconsciously, her  
mind went into a mantra.  
  
Petal blossoms became one with the swirling wind which traveled through  
the snow covered mountains to an ancient hidden valley shrine.  
  
Pain became cold nothingness, her movements retook a sureness from the  
beginning of the fight. Memories of ice and the sounds of a crashing  
snow storm flittered by her consciousness. She could almost hear the  
sound of a raging bull bellowing.  
  
Ranma grunted in exertion, struggling to maintain his defenses as  
Akane's form smoothed out and sped up slightly. He was suddenly on the  
defensive. Akane's face had become flat and expressionless. Minutes  
passed, stretching longer and longer as Akane started to inflict serious  
hits upon Ranma.  
  
Ranma gritted his teeth in anger. No way was he going to lose to her  
again. His muscles started to burn as his gi stuck to his sweaty body.  
Ranma noted, in the back of his mind, that Akane's form was starting to  
suffer a bit, too.  
  
But not as much as his form was. More and more holes were developing in  
his defense, each one sounded out with a punishing attack. Ranma's  
grunts of pain accompanied each strike. He was beginning to become  
unnerved by Akane's almost perfect silence when he managed to strike  
her. All he could hear was her breathing and the slap of her feet on the  
boards.  
  
Finally, Ranma bounced off the ground and lay still on his stomach for a  
second. Slowly he pushed himself back to his feet. His breath ragged and  
tearing at his lungs. He pushed his body to attack Akane clumsily,  
managing to bull through her defenses and strike her several more times.  
  
Akane narrowed her eyes in surprise. She wouldn't have believed that he  
could still stand, much less attack effectively. She twisted his  
overextended arm into a pivot throw over her hip, paying for that with a  
weak punch to her side and passing kick to her head.  
  
The floorboards shuddered and vibrated from Ranma's impacting into it  
with the full force of Akane's body and momentum behind it. Ranma tried  
to gasp and breath, making coughing noises as his hands trying to come  
up in his defense.  
  
Akane's view narrowed, her fists letting loose a staccato torrent of  
punches to his torso and face. Breathing hard, she rolled backwards and  
then to her feet, wavering unsteadily.  
  
Slowly, over a minute or two, her breathing came under control as she  
weaved less and less on her feet. She dimly noted that Ranma's breath  
coming out less harshly. After a minute or so, she went to the outside  
water tap to splash herself and get a bucket of ice cold water.  
  
Limping back in to the dojo, she splashed Ranma, triggering the curse.  
"Wake up. You lost." Akane rubbed her split lip.  
  
Glaring at him lying on the ground, she thought to herself, Why? Why  
could he be so mean at one moment and then so nice the next? It was like  
Ranma was almost two different people at times.  
  
Ranma tried to sit up, her head hitting the floorboards hard from her  
effort. She gritted her teeth while making a noncommittal grunting  
sound. Slowly she turned on her side and managed to get her self to her  
feet. Ranma attempted to stand for a minute, before collapsing to her  
knees. Her face showed her pain, teeth gritted to stop the cries of pain  
that begged for release.  
  
"Stupid macho jerk," Akane muttered under her breath. Limping over, she  
managed to help Ranma stand up. She slipped Ranma's one arm over her  
shoulder, grabbing her under the other one to help Ranma stagger towards  
the house.  
  
Ranma thought about struggling, but finally decided against it. She was  
just in too much pain. By the time she had walked to the house, she was  
feeling a little bit better.  
  
Nanami looked up from setting the table for a late lunch. She had been  
busy adding an extra placemat. Nanami shrieked and cried out, "Akane!  
Ranma! What happened?" She ran up and helped sit Ranma down on some of  
the mats.  
  
Grimacing in pain, she settled down next to her. Akane mulled that over  
for a second. How to say what? She was interrupted by two fathers coming  
from different sections of the house.  
  
"Ranma!"  
  
"Akane!"  
  
Akane glanced at both of them for a second. Her mouth opened as she  
started to answer.  
  
"Akane! Did you and Ranma get in another fight?" Soun said grimly.  
  
Genma frowned. Ranma looked pretty poor off. At least she was in her  
cursed form. It wasn't quite so embarrassing when Ranma lost that way.  
  
Akane's face set into a grim expression as she sat kneeled down next to  
Ranma. "It was an honor challenge. Ranma accepted and we fought. I won."  
  
Ranma turned her head and tried to look anywhere but at her father or  
anyone else for that matter.  
  
Genma frowned and then finally muttered, "Well, at least he lost in his  
cursed form."  
  
Akane heard that and snarled out, "What are you talking about? I beat  
him fair and square when he was a guy."  
  
Genma face darkened. "Oh, that I have such a worthless son!"  
  
"Saotome, be quiet for a moment." Soun stared at the two for a second.  
"I think that is enough. You two have been fighting these 'challenges'  
too often and taking them too far. This is starting to affect how much  
you can learn. Unless I miss my guess, you both aren't going to be in  
any shape to spar for days."  
  
Genma nodded reluctantly. "Tendo is correct. Pushing yourself to the  
edge is commendable, but this is starting to become foolish. When these  
challenges interfere with you learning the art, that is when they have  
gone too far. You are not enemies."  
  
"But..." Ranma started to say something, starting to sit up.  
  
"What?" Akane piped up.  
  
"SILENCE!" Soun blasted out. "You are living in my house and you will  
abide by my rules. No more of these challenges unless I deem that it is  
a matter of honor. From now on, you will only spar under mine or Genma  
Saotome's supervision." He glared at the two teenagers for a moment. "Is  
that clear?"  
  
Akane bowed her head stiffly. "Yes, Father."  
  
Ranma nodded slowly with a very set expression on her face. "Yes, Mr.  
Tendo."  
  
"And you will not find excuses to make it an honor duel. Understood?"  
Two reluctant nods answered. "Very well. The matter is settled. Nanami?  
Can you get some of that special ointment that I bought from Dr. Tofu?  
They both look like they are going to need it."  
  
Genma cleared his throat. "I would also suggest that they soak for a  
while in the furo. That should help with some of the stiffness."  
  
Soun nodded appreciatively. "Splendid idea, Saotome."  
  
-  
  
Ranma struggled over to the furo, after having stripped off her clothes.  
Wincing in pain, she scrubbed herself off. She then fought for a minute  
to open the jar. Slowly she started to work in the ointment to the  
places she could reach, which wasn't as much as she normally could.  
  
"Damn," Ranma muttered loudly.  
  
"Is there a problem?" Akane called out from the other side of the door.  
She sat on the counter, waiting her turn in the furo and for the  
ointment.  
  
"Just can't reach a spot."  
  
Akane turned her eyes to the sky as if to ask why all of the idiots came  
into her life. She stood up and walked into the bathing room.  
  
"Hey! Whatcha think you're doing?" Ranma cried out, turning to face away  
from Akane.  
  
"Oh, quit being so childish." Akane winced when she remembered what her  
father said about both of them. "Let's just try to deal with this  
maturely."  
  
Ranma sat there for a second and then finally nodded. "Yeah, I guess.  
Could you get my back?"  
  
Akane wrinkled her nose in disgust at the smell. They'd have to clean  
out the furo later. "Only if you promise to do mine, later."  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's not like you don't know what a girl looks like."  
  
"Er, yeah." Ranma grinned after a second. "And we aren't exactly that  
great looking right now, are we?"  
  
"I don't think there's a foot of skin on you that doesn't look like  
there's going to be a bruise on it."  
  
"All right. As soon as you're done, I'll do your back."  
  
"Done."  
  
Ranma sat up and sat on the edge of the furo as Akane stripped out of  
her gi and underwear. "Don't you dare stare at me, Ranma!"  
  
"Like I'd want to stare at your body, any ways!"  
  
For some reason, that comment stung her. Akane cleaned up quickly and  
efficiently, movements stiff and unsure. She snagged the ointment and  
rubbed it into the bruises that she could reach. Numbness spread over  
the pain a bit, making life a little more tolerable.  
  
She turned her back to Ranma when she was done, sliding the jar towards  
her. Ranma took the hint and finished up her back. Akane stood up after  
that and turned towards the furo.  
  
"Huh? You want to share the furo?"  
  
"I am not waiting for you to finish soaking for my turn." Akane slid  
into the waters with a sigh and closed her eyes. Heaven!  
  
"Oh, that kind of makes sense." Ranma shrugged her shoulders and sank  
into the waters himself. For a long while nothing was said, as they just  
concentrated on the warmth.  
  
"What do you think of our dads proclamation?" Akane asked finally.  
  
"I guess I can see what their talking 'bout. But I can't prove I'm best  
now." Ranma said belligerently.  
  
Akane cracked her left eye to look at him. Anger simmered in her for a  
second. She counted to ten backwards silently. "Ranma, take your loss  
like a man and stop whining." Let's see if he remembered where that came  
from, jerk.  
  
Ranma snapped his eyes open in anger. He was just about to unleash a  
fusillade of unkind comments back on her, when he remembered where he'd  
last heard that turn of phrase. He bit off his retort and looked away.  
He really didn't have a good comeback to that one.  
  
She saw that and nodded to herself. Ranma was starting to see how  
hypocritical he was, by his own words. Akane stood up and toweled off,  
wrapping the towel around her. "I think lunch is ready."  
  
Ranma glanced up from the water morosely. "Um, sure. Thanks." Damn, now  
what was he supposed to do?  
  
Ranma continued to stare at the water for a while, trying to see  
something in his reflection. She could be so nice and then make him so  
mad it wasn't funny. What was he supposed to think? And throwing his own  
words in his face. That hadn't been pleasant.  
  
But maybe that had been the point.  
  
-  
  
"And this is Genma Saotome, a friend of the family and Ranma's father. I  
told you about him, didn't I?" Kasumi said brightly.  
  
Takchi nodded silently. "The kid who's engaged to you kid sister,  
right?" Both of them sat on one side of the table, Genma, Soun and  
Nabiki sat on different sides.  
  
Soun nodded proudly. Takchi was a fairly decent example of what a  
Japanese young man should be. He fingered the present that he had  
brought. Perhaps he should be thinking of another marriage first. It  
wouldn't hurt to set up the omai and see what happened. "So you are  
going into engineering, you say?"  
  
"Well, I probably won't be hired for at least four years, if then. But  
I'd like to help design airplanes. That adds a few years."  
  
Genma tried to keep up appearances, but his thoughts kept drifting to  
his son. Obviously, he needed to find another secret technique.  
Something to make Ranma better than he was currently.  
  
Nabiki tried not to yawn in the couples faces. Takchi wasn't bad  
looking, but he was so ordinary. She had absolutely no idea what Kasumi  
saw in him. Akane and Ranma took that moment to walk into the room  
stiffly and sit down, a cloud of discontent hanging above their heads.  
  
Takchi nodded a greeting to the two new kids at the table.  
  
Kasumi smiled and introduced them to him. She gave Takchi a look.  
  
He smiled nervously and bowed to Soun. "Uh, Mr. Tendo. May I have your  
attention?" Soun nodded. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank  
you for your hospitality." He smacked his lips suddenly, trying to quell  
the butterflies in his stomach. "I would also like to take this  
opportunity to ask if I may woo you're daughter, with the intention to  
become formally engaged."  
  
A sad smile broke across Soun's face. "Of course. I'm sure it is just a  
formality, but we'll set up the meeting between the correct parties.  
When would you like to look at getting married?"  
  
Kasumi blushed as she answered, "We've talked about it a bit. We're  
thinking next year, about this time."  
  
Takchi took Kasumi's hand and nodded his agreement.  
  
Nabiki just gave Takchi a look of morbid curiosity. She gave him a cocky  
smile. "Welcome to the family, I guess."  
  
Akane just kept blinking in surprise. Her big sister was going to get  
married? She really shouldn't be surprised, they were obviously in love.  
Her face took on a wistful expression. She wished that she could be that  
in love.  
  
"Nanami! Bring out a bottle of sake! We have some celebrating to do!"  
Soun called out.  



	3. Enter Kodachi!

Ranma Birthright - 3  
  
Ranma spun and dipped, his movements bouncing him along. He  
blocked punches and kicks from his adversary, even as she  
followed his movements flawlessly. The students of Furinkan  
High barely noted their progress over their heads. It had  
become that commonplace.  
  
Ranma couldn't help but smile. Akane was really pushing him  
today. His fiancee returned the feral smile, even as she  
snuck in a punch to his chest. In unison, they landed  
lightly even as they looked up to see a figure leaping at  
them with the sun at his back.  
  
The figure shouted, "Ranma, prepare to die!"  
  
Ranma and Akane's leg muscles spun them away from him in  
opposite directions. The boy's umbrella exploded a small  
crater into the concrete with stunning violence right where  
they had been.  
  
"You!" Ranma exclaimed, pointing at the new boy.  
  
The fanged boy cried out, "You haven't changed. You're still  
good at running away, Ranma!" His unruly hair was kept out  
of his eyes by a yellow and black bandana. His travel worn  
clothes and backpack bespoke of long use on a hard road.  
  
"Do you know him, Ranma?" Akane asked curiously. She was  
eyeing the new boy speculatively. Strong, but not terribly  
fast. She wondered how good a fighter he really was.  
  
Ranma looked up into the sky, then into his palm as he  
focused his mental faculties to remember the challenger.  
"Uh, yeah! Sure, he's... he's..."  
  
"He must have been forgettable, huh Ranma?" Akane said  
snidely.  
  
Ranma blushed in mortification at that comment. The stranger  
interrupted him, "Just tell me one thing, Ranma. Why did you  
run out on our fight?"  
  
Akane sniffed in disdain. And he thought he could claim to  
be better than her?  
  
"Wait! I remember! You're Ryoga Hibiki, from my old class!  
It's been a while!"  
  
"How dare you? I asked you a question!" Ryoga shouted.  
  
Ranma had a nonplussed expression on his face. "I waited for  
three days at the place you chose."  
  
Akane nodded to herself, her respect for Ranma went back up  
a notch. So he hadn't run out on the fight.  
  
Ryoga clenched his fist angrily. "And you had already left  
when I showed up on the fourth day!"  
  
"Ryoga? It was right behind your house."  
  
"I traveled nonstop for those days to get to our duel!"  
  
A hubbub of voices from the crowd in the background could be  
heard.  
  
"Bad sense of direction?"  
  
"Really bad."  
  
"You said it."  
  
"For breaking a vow between men and running off to China  
with your father, you will suffer!" Ryoga cried out,  
swinging his umbrella to club his hated foe.  
  
Ranma bounded over it easily, as if Ryoga were in slow  
motion. Even as his opponent landed, Ryoga swept back his  
umbrella to open it, when it was suddenly yanked from his  
hand. Ryoga spun around, surprised.  
  
"What do you think you are doing?" he shouted out.  
  
Akane calmly closed the umbrella. "You should be ashamed.  
Blaming Ranma for running away when you couldn't even make  
it to your fight. I wouldn't have waited more than three  
days."  
  
Ryoga eyed the girl closer. She had the demeanor of a  
fighter. "Blame? This has all been his fault!"  
  
"YOU didn't show up. You just admitted that." Akane's temper  
started to flair.  
  
"Hey! This is in between me and him..." Ranma tried to  
interject into their argument.  
  
"What would a girl like you know about honor..." his tirade  
was broken off as she punched him in the jaw.  
  
"I would think very carefully about what you are about to  
say, Hibiki." Akane tossed the umbrella over her shoulder  
lightly. It clunked into the ground, cracking the concrete,  
much to the surprise of her schoolmates.  
  
"And who are you, anyways?" Ryoga rubbed his jaw  
thoughtfully. That had stung.  
  
Ranma's gazed bounced back and forth between the two, like  
in a tennis match.  
  
"I am Akane Tendo, heir to the Tendo School of Anything Goes  
Martial Arts." She cracked her knuckles in anger.  
  
"Stay out of this, Tendo. This is a matter between men. You  
wouldn't understand."  
  
Ranma suddenly cringed. That wasn't what he should have  
said.  
  
Akane didn't say anything for a long moment. "I understand  
perfectly. For that comment alone, I challenge you."  
  
"You? I don't care about you. All I want is my revenge on  
him," he shouted as he pointed at Ranma. "For what he has  
done, I will destroy his happiness."  
  
"My happiness? Am I happy?" Ranma asked as he looked over at  
his fiancee.  
  
"Don't ask me," she replied. She spun back on the angry boy.  
"You haven't responded to my challenge!"  
  
"After I destroy Ranma, I'll be happy to fight you."  
  
"Really? You don't look good enough to beat him, much less  
me," Akane said haughtily.  
  
"Much less? You have a pretty high opinion of yourself."  
Ryoga cracked his knuckles.  
  
"Less talk, more fighting." Akane pointed towards the field  
where Ranma had fought Kuno so recently. Putting her own  
words into action, she walked off into the crowd.  
  
Ryoga took a moment to snag his umbrella. "Heh. She's got  
spunk. And a high opinion of herself."  
  
Ranma's face had an ugly expression flicker across it. "Come  
on, Ryoga. You want to fight me so bad, let's get to it."  
Ranma's leap cleared the crowd in a single bound.  
  
Ryoga headed in what he thought was the right direction. Of  
course, with his sense of direction, he ran off in the wrong  
direction. In fact, he went in almost the direct opposite of  
where he was supposed to go.  
  
"Jeez, there he goes again."  
  
Akane gave her fiance an incredulous look. "He can't be that  
bad, can he?"  
  
"No, he's worse. He can't even find his way out of the  
bathroom sometimes." Ranma spun on her. "What did you think  
you were doing? That was my fight!"  
  
"I wasn't interfering with the fight, Ranma. I was pounding  
it through his thick skull that he forfeited the fight. I  
can't stand people that can't admit that they lost."  
  
Ranma threw her a dirty look. She didn't have to rub it in.  
  
-  
  
"So why does he hate you so much, Ranma?" Akane asked on the  
way home. She was dashing along the fence top on the  
opposite side of the small road.  
  
"Dunno. Maybe it had something to do with school." Ranma  
creased his forehead in concentration, bouncing over a gate  
on his fence. "We both went to an all boys school. It was a  
real zoo at lunch. They always saved a loaf of bread to  
throw out. I always got it. Naturally."  
  
"So you fought over food at your school?" Akane asked,  
flummoxed.  
  
"Yeah. Everyday. He always cried bitter tears of anger and I  
always won, of course. Let's see, there was the chow mien  
bread, the seafood bread, curry bread, the meat bread... "  
  
"Gee, Ranma, you don't think you may have overdone it, do  
you?"  
  
"What? It was fair game!"  
  
-  
  
Ranma tapped his foot on the ground impatiently. Behind him,  
on the edge of the grass, Akane sat calmly reading an  
ancient scroll, unconsciously tensing muscles as she tried  
to visualize how to actually do the move it explained.  
  
Voices murmured in the background, rising in volume. "There  
he is!"  
  
"He's only a week late this time!"  
  
Ryoga growled at the hecklers. He turned back to Ranma even  
as he hefted his umbrella while dropping his pack. "Ranma, I  
hoped you are prepared to die today!"  
  
"You made it finally! Here! Take this!" he cried out in  
reply, tossing a small roundish package at the lost boy.  
  
A snap of his wrist and it landed neatly in his hand. "What?  
Bread?"  
  
"Fine, be that way!" Ranma retorted, flinging more loaves of  
bread that Ryoga caught. "Jeeze, talk about greedy."  
  
"Is this some sort of joke?" Ryoga looked confused and  
irritated.  
  
"Isn't this about those bread fights?"  
  
"You think this is merely about bread? Ranma Saotome, for  
what you have done to me, I will destroy you!" Ryoga glanced  
at the bread quickly. "Besides, these are all past the sell  
dates!"  
  
"You kept me waiting for a week, you know."  
  
Ryoga flung the bread away and charged at the slightly  
smaller rival. "Enough! I attack!" he yelled out even as he  
flung himself forward, stabbing at his hated foe.  
  
Almost casually, Ranma ducked and weaved, hopping backwards  
when he had to. "Hey! What's this all about then?" They both  
bounced into the air casually, taking the fight to a new  
level.  
  
"Thanks to you, I have seen hell!" the fanged boy yelled out  
in anger, overextending even as Ranma twisted over the  
sloppy attack.  
  
"Huh?" Ranma asked intelligently as they both landed over a  
dozen feet apart.  
  
"Mere words can not convey my suffering!" Ryoga opened his  
umbrella and spun it at Ranma like a top.  
  
Ranma sidestepped it casually, keeping one eye on it and one  
eye on Ryoga. He felt more than saw Ryoga charge at him  
while lashing out with another piece of cloth. His bandana?  
Ranma twitched his hand out of the way and blocked Ryoga  
openhanded grab. "So tell me..." Ranma quipped even as he  
used his other hand to redirect Ryoga's kick over his head,  
" ...how many bandanas are you wearing?"  
  
"You won't make light of this..." Ryoga blustered, flustered  
that Ranma had so easily dodged his bandana snatch and  
follow up attacks.  
  
"Ranma! Quit playing with him!" Akane cried out angrily.  
  
Ryoga's eyes twitched in anger, a scowl growing on his face.  
His umbrella spun to a halt, narrowly missing some male  
students. "Playing with me?"  
  
Ranma's eyes narrowed, even as his fiancee's words stung  
him. "Fine."  
  
Ryoga kept trying to get his grasping hands on him, missing  
by the barest margins. He barely saw Ranma lash out in a  
puzzling combination of punches under his guard, striking  
him squarely in the gut.  
  
"Jeez, Ryoga. I thought you were better than that."  
  
Ryoga didn't have the breath to respond. Where had he gotten  
this good? He started blocking punches, getting clocked in  
the side of the head by a spinning kick for his efforts. He  
lunged at his hated foe, trying to get him in a bear hug,  
where his greater strength would prevail.  
  
Ranma twisted in and under his guard again, spinning to put  
his back to Ryoga while he slammed his elbow into his  
stomach. Ryoga grunted even as the pigtailed martial artist  
open-palmed his chin as he stood up, putting his entire body  
into the motion.  
  
Ryoga almost blacked out as he was flung straight up into  
the air. Ranma dropped into a one handed stand, catching  
Ryoga by his head with his feet. With a quick spin, he  
twisted Ryoga fall to make him land heavily on his face,  
making a small crater from the impact.  
  
For a moment, he didn't move. With a groan, Ryoga staggered  
to his feet. He shakily raised one hand in defense, even as  
his other wiped the blood from his mouth. "Y-you still hit  
like a weakling."  
  
Compassion was all he could see in Ranma's face. "Ryoga,  
you've lost. I don't want to hurt you no more."  
  
"Yeeeearh! Die, Ranma!" Ryoga screamed as he charged,  
adrenaline and anger giving him a second wind. He swung his  
punches wildly, faster than he ever had before. All he had  
to do was strike him once. He could win and wipe that smug  
grin off of his face.  
  
Ranma crouched, ducking in between punches like Ryoga was  
throwing them in slow motion. His bunched leg muscle flung  
him over his foe faster than his eyes could follow. Blinding  
pain erupted from the back of his head as Ranma's backwards  
spin kick, with 180 degrees of motion behind it, slammed him  
into unconsciousness.  
  
Akane walked over, checking to see if he was all right. "Out  
cold. Hmph. He probably won't even remember that I  
challenged him either."  
  
"Probably not. Better wake him up," Ranma commented. "Still  
need to find out why he hates my guts."  
  
"Ooh! Let me!" cried out a girl. Akane thought her name was  
Sayuri, but she couldn't be sure. She came running back a  
minute later with a bucket full of water. Akane might have  
Ranma, but this guy wasn't bad. Well, except for his getting  
lost.  
  
Without any fanfare, she dumped the water over him,  
eliciting an unexpected response.  
  
"SQWEEE!" the little piglet cried out, even as it looked  
around.  
  
The shocked expression of the people surrounding him told  
him that they knew. They knew!  
  
"Ryoga?" Ranma cried out in shock. "You went to Jusenkyo? I  
mean, you followed me all the way there?"  
  
Akane's eyes narrowed appreciatively. "That could be why he  
hates you so much."  
  
"But it's not my fault!"  
  
Ryoga growled and launched himself at Ranma. The same girl  
who had interrupted their previous fight unexpectedly  
brought him up short, her hand snapping out and snagging his  
bandana.  
  
"Is that why you hate him?" she asked forcibly, shaking him  
by his bandana.  
  
The little piglet managed to nod yes even as he struggled to  
break free.  
  
"You do know that Ranma has a curse too, right?"  
  
He stopped struggling, looking at the girl who held him. He  
shook his head in negation.  
  
"He turns into a girl when splashed with cold water. So he  
knows what it's like. Even if he's whiny about it. Keeps  
blaming his girl side for losing our fights," Akane said  
smugly.  
  
"I ain't done that in weeks! I agree with you that I need to  
train my cursed form up to speed!" Ranma protested. Akane  
had nagged him incessantly until he'd agreed to do so.  
  
-  
  
"So what are you going to do if it rains during one of your  
fights, Ranma? Lose and whine because your girl curse made  
you lose? Even if it's to a girl?"  
  
-  
  
"Come on. We'll get you changed back." Akane hefted his  
backpack with one hand, slipping it over her shoulder.  
  
"Let me carry him!" Sayuri asked, taking the cursed martial  
artist when he was proffered. "You're so cute!" she cried  
out as she hugged him.  
  
-  
  
Ranma, Ryoga, Akane and Sayuri were all sitting around the  
dinner table at the Tendo's. Sayuri had tagged along,  
feeling she deserved to know something. The young girl had  
also been trying to drag Akane out of her shell of martial  
arts for a long time. She had sighed dramatically during  
Ryoga's explanation of how he had followed Ranma all the way  
to China and had been knocked off a cliff into the pools of  
sorrow.  
  
"Oh, that's so sad," Sayuri cried out heartfeltly.  
  
Ryoga continued his story, getting angrier by the moment. Of  
the horrors that arose on his harrowing trip back, of almost  
being eaten several times.  
  
"The path of a true martial artist is truly fraught with  
danger," Akane quoted from memory, verbatim. She glanced at  
Ranma, thinking of having his curse (in reverse, of course.)  
Ugh.  
  
"That's what my dad always says. I feel for you, man. At  
least I'm not going to get eaten or nothing."  
  
"I don't need your pity! I just want my revenge, Ranma  
Saotome!" Ryoga cracked his knuckles in preparation to  
continue his war.  
  
"And lose again? You aren't good enough to beat him and you  
definitely aren't good enough to defeat me. And since he  
lives in my house, I will defend him also." Akane pinned him  
to his spot with her gaze alone.  
  
"Oh, yeah. You challenged me, didn't you? I'll get back to  
you after I teach your girlfriend a lesson in respect,  
Ranma!"  
  
Ranma stood up and gestured in the direction of the dojo.  
"Your funeral. And she isn't my girl friend!"  
  
"What do you mean?" Ryoga asked suspiciously.  
  
Ranma and Akane both ignored him as they walked into the  
dojo. Ranma sat on the sidelines, interested to see how  
Akane fought versus someone else.  
  
Akane stood calmly across from Ryoga, still wearing the blue  
slacks and blouse combo that she'd worn earlier to see  
Ranma's match. Ryoga casually walked up to within five feet  
of her. Without warning, she leaped at him as fast as Ranma  
had earlier. She snapped a kick at his head that he blocked  
with both arms, using that platform to rocket away to the  
wall.  
  
"Damn!" Ryoga muttered. He fell into a defensive posture. He  
lashed out several punches as she skittered off of two walls  
and dropped under his attacks.  
  
"Ha!" she yelled out, scissoring his legs out from  
underneath him.  
  
The lost boy fell backwards into a back flip, his hands flat  
on the ground. Before he could flip to his feet, two  
punishing kicks were slammed into his back, sending him  
sprawling. He managed to roll to the side, hearing the  
splintering of wood from the missed punch.  
  
Just as he was about to regain his feet, another snap kick  
from the girl knocked him back ten feet. He bounced  
painfully off of the wall, raising his hands against an  
attack he could see, but not defend against. That same set  
of unusual punches pierced his defenses, hitting his already  
hurt stomach. Roaring, he snapped out his fastest grab  
without pause, snagging her shoulders in a painfully tight  
grip.  
  
"I've got you now!" he yelled out.  
  
Her leg blocked his knee even as her hand chopped into the  
insides of his elbows, her other hand snapping his grip  
almost effortlessly. Ryoga's eyes widened in surprise at her  
strength!  
  
"KYA!" the girl cried out, striking him in several painful  
places on his chest, sandwiching him in between the wall and  
herself. Ryoga's eyes widened in pain, pain that slowed him  
down. Akane took a step back even as she spun on one heel.  
She snapped out a kick with a full revolution behind it, her  
heel catching him just above his ear.  
  
Ryoga skittered across the wall, his face bouncing off of  
the corner. He turned to see Akane walking slowly towards  
him. "Y-you're good. Almost as good as Ranma." He moved out  
of the corner, his hands up defensively.  
  
Akane snorted. "I'm better than he is, jerk."  
  
"I'll show you!" Ryoga cried out, trying to punch her  
instead of grabbing her.  
  
She spun in and under his reach like Ranma had earlier,  
using her elbow just as effectively. Running on pure  
adrenaline, he rocked his head back to avoid the palm to the  
bottom of his jaw. That attack never materialized, as Ryoga  
felt his legs twist out from under him. The last thing he  
remembered was her tennis shoe coming towards his face.  
  
Still spinning, Akane landed on one foot while falling into  
a preying mantis stance. She snorted and relaxed into a  
normal standing posture. "Hmph. Guess that's that."  
  
-  
  
Ryoga awoke to more pain than he thought he'd ever have to  
endure. What had happened? Oh, yeah. He'd been defeated not  
once, but twice.  
  
"So, are you going to continue attacking Ranma?" Akane asked  
seriously from where she knelt just a few feet away from  
him. Ranma and an unfamiliar lady also knelt there.  
  
"Not until I get my revenge!" Ryoga snarled, attempting to  
sit up. Failing that, he fell back to the floor.  
  
"Your revenge? For not accepting the fact that you forfeited  
the match by not showing up? For you following him to China  
and getting yourself cursed? What kind of martial artist are  
you? A pretty poor one by that standard! Blaming him for  
your problems!"  
  
Ranma just stared at Akane in surprise.  
  
Ryoga lay there staring at the ceiling. "Is it true?" he  
murmured to himself. The crushing defeats that he had  
endured this day had shaken his foundation of anger.  
  
"I think he needs to sleep. He can stay in the downstairs  
guest room tonight. I'm sure your father won't mind," Nanami  
said, a look of worry on her.  
  
Akane and Ranma nodded. They all stood up and walked out,  
leaving Ryoga to rest.  
  
-  
  
The next morning, Ryoga woke up to the sounds of fighting  
off in the distance. Rousing himself to motion, he trotted  
across the living room to see what the fighting was. In  
front of him, in between the house and the dojo, blurs  
rocketed around like insane jumping beans. His trained eye  
finally discerned the four figures; Ranma, Akane and two  
unknown older men.  
  
He whistled in appreciation at their movements. It was like  
some sort of free style mid air war. It seemed to be Ranma  
and Akane versus the two older men at this point. Amazingly  
enough, even though they weren't winning, they weren't  
losing to the teachers either. Ranma and Akane snagged each  
other's hands as they passed by spinning them into perfect  
kicks that their elders barely blocked.  
  
The older men landed slightly winded, even as their children  
tag teamed them, Ranma versus the man in the brown gi, Akane  
versus the man in the white gi. All four were sweating  
profusely. Ryoga didn't quite catch what the man with  
glasses did to send Akane flying, but he watched in awe as  
the longhaired man just tapped Ranma's hands out of the way  
while snapping his own unbelievable punch into the younger  
man's chest, sending him sprawling.  
  
And that was the signal for the end of the training. Ryoga  
caught the eyes of the three other students, standing in the  
dojo's door. They were shaking their heads in amazement,  
even as they turned to begin their own practice.  
  
"Good morning!" a cheerful voice behind Ryoga said,  
startling him out of his reverie.  
  
"Wah!" he cried out, spinning and landing on his but. He saw  
a young lady sit at the table.  
  
"You must be Ryoga Hibiki! Akane talked about you last night  
at dinner." Kasumi adjusted her bowl and started filling it  
with food.  
  
The older lady from last night walked in with more bowls.  
"Oh, you're awake. Would you like some breakfast?" She  
turned to the open door. "Breakfast is ready."  
  
Kasumi flushed as she took in the partially dressed young  
man in front of her. He was quite muscular.  
  
Ryoga noted her gaze and realized his state of dress, or  
lack thereof. He ran to the guest room to grab his shirt.  
  
"Um, excuse me, that's the closet."  
  
Ryoga gave a big toothy grin as he walked out of the closet.  
"I knew that."  
  
"Yeah, right!" Ranma crowed even as he slid into his seat.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane cried as she slid in next to him.  
  
Ryoga's widened in surprise as they started what looked like  
a duel with chopsticks, their fathers just nodding in  
approval as they sat down.  
  
"Good morning? I hope you slept well," the man with long  
hair said. "I am Soun Tendo. Welcome to my home." He  
casually snapped a piece of meat back from his daughter's  
chopsticks.  
  
"Ah, pleased to meet you." Ryoga gestured at the couple.  
"Are they always like that?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Very competitive those two."  
  
"They're freaks, Dad. Get it right," Nabiki sniped as she  
walked in and sat down.  
  
Ryoga tended to agree. If this was how Ranma and Akane  
trained, no wonder they were so good. They suddenly finished  
their food and simultaneously charged up the stairs to go  
change. Ryoga blinked as he noted that they were actually  
throwing and blocking punches even as they ran.  
  
The oldest girl, rushing out of the room while holding her  
mouth, suddenly distracted him.  
  
"Oh, dear. I'd better go and see what's wrong!" the  
housekeeper said as she trotted after her.  
  
"Son, have you decided what you plan to do now?" Soun said,  
a dangerous glint in his eye.  
  
"I, uh, think I need to go on a journey of self discovery. I  
need to seek purpose again."  
  
"That is good to hear. I am always on the lookout for  
promising students. You have a lot of potential."  
  
Behind him, the other man nodded his head. "Just being able  
to hold your own against Ranma or Akane is an amazing  
thing."  
  
"You would still accept me as a student?" Ryoga asked,  
startled.  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"I... I'll have to think about it." If the same person that  
trained Ranma trained him, he could defeat Ranma eventually.  
  
"Mr. Tendo? Kasumi isn't feeling well. I think she needs to  
go see the doctor this morning," Nanami said as she walked  
back into the living room.  
  
"Later," Ranma and Akane cried out as the charged out the  
door, headed to school.  
  
"Of course, Nanami. I'll take her. Saotome, you can handle  
the classes this morning, can't you?"  
  
Genma nodded his affirmative.  
  
-  
  
"We're home!" Ranma and Akane greeted as they walked in the  
door.  
  
"Oh, hello!" Nanami called out from the kitchen.  
  
"I'm going to change, Ranma," Akane called out as she zipped  
up the stairs.  
  
"Sure." He shrugged as he thought for a second. He walked  
into the kitchen. "Say, Nanami, do you know if there are any  
vitamins around?" He needed something beyond training for an  
edge.  
  
The older woman smiled as she looked up from her cooking.  
"There should be. Let me take a look." She opened a cupboard  
up above her head. "Hmm. That's odd. There should be several  
here. Nabiki must have taken them up to her room. She takes  
a lot of vitamins, you know."  
  
Ranma blinked. "I think I saw them, now that I think about  
it. Thanks!"  
  
"Ranma, wait! Oh, drat. Nabiki hates it when someone goes  
into her room." Was he getting faster?  
  
Ranma had already entered said room by the time that Nanami  
had finished calling after him. Yep, there they were. A  
slightly open nightstand's drawer of pill bottles revealed  
over two dozen varieties of pills. Ranma started to take one  
of each, thought about it for a second and grabbed two of  
each. He dry swallowed them and then glided down the hall to  
stairs to get a glass of water.  
  
A wave of vertigo suddenly struck him as he started down the  
stairs. His limbs started to feel rubbery, even as his eyes  
drooped. The last thing he remembered was thinking, my, how  
high up he was from the bottom of the stairs.  
  
Akane attention was jerked to the sound of someone crashed  
down the stairs heavily. The only one she could thing that  
could be was Ranma, of course. She slammed her door and  
charged towards the stairs to see what he'd done now.  
  
The sight that greeted her shocked her to her core. It had  
been Ranma, but the sight of him lying on the ground,  
twitching scared her almost speechless.  
  
"Nanami! Call 119!"  
  
-  
  
Soun walked by his daughter's side, looking at her  
carefully. He sighed. It must be the price of a modern  
world. "Don't worry. I'm sure he will be fine about this."  
  
Kasumi sniffled loudly. "Father!"  
  
"We'll call him tomorrow. I'm sure his family will be  
amenable to reason." Soun cleared his throat. "He is a  
responsible boy, right?" Obviously not that responsible, he  
grumbled to himself.  
  
Kasumi nodded her head frantically.  
  
"Mr. Tendo! Thank God you're home!" Nanami said, bustling  
out of the house. "Something terrible has happened!"  
  
"Nanami? Get a hold of yourself! What is going on here?"  
Soun called out.  
  
"Ranma was taken to the hospital. He had a seizure of some  
sort. Mr. Saotome and Akane went with him."  
  
"Ranma?"  
  
-  
  
"Are you Genma Saotome?" the officious voice asked from  
behind the stout martial artist.  
  
"That's me. Can you tell me what happened to my son?" The  
older Saotome looked like he had aged years in the mere  
hours since he'd arrived. He turned to the man in the white  
lab coat.  
  
"I'm Dr. Takauchi. It appears that you son is suffering from  
some form of drug overdose. Has he ever exhibited any  
tendency to use drugs or signs of suicidal thoughts?" the  
balding doctor asked. His eyes tried to read what he saw in  
the middle-aged man.  
  
"Ranma? You must be joking! He's a true martial artist. He  
would never pollute his body with such things."  
  
"Our tests don't lie, Mr. Saotome. I suspect that he tried  
to commit suicide, using a wide variety of street drugs."  
Dr. Takauchi frowned. He seemed earnest about his stance.  
  
"My son is a paragon of a martial artist. He would never  
think such thoughts."  
  
"Is he the heir of your school?"  
  
"How did you guess? He and Akane are the heirs to the  
Anything Goes School of Martial Arts!" He gestured to the  
said young lady behind him.  
  
"Saotome! How is Ranma?" Soun asked as he entered into the  
room, spotting his old friend.  
  
"This... doctor seems to think that Ranma tried to commit  
suicide by taking drugs," Genma almost spat out.  
  
"What? I don't think that Ranma even knows what the word  
quit means." The Tendo patriarch brushed his mustache. Ranma  
had seemed too alive for such thoughts.  
  
"Mr. Tendo, I hate to bring this up, but Ranma asked me  
about him getting some vitamins. I... mentioned that Nabiki  
had taken most of them into her room." The flustered  
housekeeper wrung her hands nervously.  
  
Kasumi looked at the housekeeper in surprise. "Oh, no. She  
didn't, did she?"  
  
"Nabiki." A freezing wind chiseled the Tendo patriarch's  
face into stone. "This matter will be dealt with. Tonight."  
  
The door suddenly flapped back and forth, signaling that  
someone had exited the room at high speeds.  
  
"Eh?" Soun looked around, trying to see who had left. "Oh,  
drat. Akane!"  
  
-  
  
Nabiki pulled a drag off of her cigarette. She and her  
friends were hanging around the local mall, trying to figure  
out something to do.  
  
"We don't got the money to go see a flick, Lita. Just give  
it up," one of the girls said with an angry scowl on her  
face.  
  
"What do you say, Nabiki? You good for a loan?"  
  
"Not with you. You still owe me... two hundred and fifty yen  
from last week. I'm not loaning you nothing until you pay it  
back." Nabiki gave the girl a hard look, a look that told  
her in no uncertain terms that was the way it was.  
  
"Damn, no reason to bite my head off..."  
  
"Nabiki! You are coming home. Now!" Akane barked out loudly.  
Her face was flushed with anger, her fists shaking. She  
stood just down the sidewalk from them. Her mere expression  
had cleared her a small clearing in the throngs of people.  
  
"Buzz off, Akane. I don't want to."  
  
"I didn't ask." Akane turned her head to one of Nabiki's  
friends trying sidle sideways around her. "Don't even think  
it."  
  
"What's poor Daddy dearest upset about this time?" Nabiki  
sneered down her nose at her younger sister.  
  
"You've gone too far this time. I can't believe that you're  
into drugs."  
  
Nabiki's breath caught in her throat. "That's a pretty  
serious accusation, sis." Her friends rustled around her in  
nervous movement.  
  
"It put Ranma in the hospital. He thought he was taking  
vitamins."  
  
"Ah, did poor widdle Wanma get sick? You can't make me come  
home." Inside she was shaken. This could be very bad indeed.  
  
"Yes, Nabiki, I can. And I will." Akane's voice spoke of the  
chill wind that drifted from the artic regions.  
  
"Did your poor little lover boy fail to come home so you  
could go fuck in the dojo?" Nabiki put a brave face forward  
as she stood. "Go home. Daddy's little precious girl.  
Daddy's little bitch." Nabiki palmed her switchblade.  
  
Akane dipped her head to the side, her hand unerringly  
grabbing fist that tried to strike her from behind. A simple  
toss threw the hapless girl thirty feet, sending her  
tumbling. "I warned you." It was hard to see whom she was  
talking to.  
  
The crowd around them parted back even farther. Normally,  
six on one odds, they'd be betting on the street rats. But  
the single girl seemed more than capable of taking on them.  
Mall security was pushing their way to them, trying to get  
through the press of the crowd.  
  
"Go to hell, bitch," Nabiki said through clenched teeth. As  
if that were a signal, the rest of her friends charged at  
her sister.  
  
Akane became a blur of motion. Two punches robbed the  
closest two girls of their breath, causing them to collapse  
and lose their latest meals before they could even swing a  
single punch. She barely swayed, left then right to dodge  
the last two girls. A simultaneous palm strike to a sternum  
and a kick to another girl's jaw saw the last of Nabiki's  
girls drop.  
  
Nabiki licked her lips as she snapped out her blade. She had  
little illusions about the outcome of this fight. But she  
couldn't not fight. She'd be happy if she even marked the  
girl in front of her. She wicked out her blade, so fast that  
it almost whistled, a snarl on her lips.  
  
She may as well have been trying to hit a shadow. She felt a  
flurry of strikes numb her arm from the shoulder on down.  
The knife clattered to the ground. Nabiki didn't even see  
the punch that knocked her out.  
  
"Does anyone else have a problem with me taking my sister  
home?" Akane asked coldly, scanning the crowd for  
dissenters.  
  
Even the security guards took an involuntary step backwards.  
With that pronouncement said, she picked up Nabiki's prone  
body and vaulted to the closest two story building. Almost  
instantly she was out of sight.  
  
-  
  
Ranma groaned, stirring awake. His eyes opened to an  
unexpected sight. The room he was in was sterile and smelled  
of chemicals.  
  
"Ranma?" a soft voice called out to him.  
  
"Yeah," he croaked.  
  
"How do you... feel?" asked the voice.  
  
"Fine, I guess. A little woozy, that's all." Even as he  
spoke, he started to take control of his bodily processes,  
speeding the process of healing. He looked over at the girl  
sitting next to his bed.  
  
Akane smiled wanly. "You accidentally took some drugs. The  
doctors didn't think that'd you wake up for days." Stubborn  
jerk, she thought fondly.  
  
"How long was I out?"  
  
"About sixteen hours."  
  
Ranma took a good look at his fiancee's face. "Are you all  
right?"  
  
Akane bit her lip for a second. "Daddy had Nabiki admitted  
to a drug rehab this morning. It was her drugs that you  
took."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"She didn't want to come home. She said some really mean  
things when I told her I was going to make her come home."  
  
Even Ranma couldn't miss the tears that were threatening to  
pour from her eyes. Akane suddenly latched onto Ranma in a  
death tight hug, her sobs muffled by his chest. Ranma could  
do nothing except pat her on the back.  
  
-  
  
"So why are we doing this again?" Ranma asked the next day,  
her mop of red hair slipped under a green Chinese communist  
hat, which went along perfectly with the green outfit she  
wore.  
  
"Because our fathers thought that we needed to do something  
other than practice. You were the one that decided that  
going out for ice cream sounded good." Akane was miffed at  
Ranma pulling the cutesy act to get more free eats on the  
way home. Had she no shame?  
  
"Ah, you're just upset that I can be cuter than you when I  
want to be!" Although Ranma did have to admit that Akane did  
look pretty cute in that sundress. Ranma took a quick  
vicious bite of her dumpling to distract herself. Akane was  
the foe, to be defeated at any cost.  
  
A commotion dragged their attention to a fight. Two quick  
hops took them to the wall next to an abandoned field. A  
stunning young woman in a brown school uniform was snapping  
a ribbon at three others mercilessly. The three men being  
attacked were unrecognizable because of their bandages.  
  
Ranma charged off immediately, snagging the ribbon on the  
back swing. "That's enough!"  
  
"You are not an ordinary girl, are you?" the attacker  
exclaimed.  
  
"You could say that," Akane said dryly.  
  
The unknown woman took Akane's appearance in one quick  
glance. "Good, because that means I do not have to extend  
ordinary greetings." Her toe flipped up baton-like club into  
her hand, even as she lunged at him. The attack almost  
seemed to connect, until she realized that Ranma had ducked  
faster than her eye could follow.  
  
A blindingly fast leg sweep knocked the unknown girl from  
her feet. Moving with trained grace, she fell into a forward  
cartwheel to regain her feet. Halfway through her move, two  
kicks slammed into her, sending her sprawling.  
  
"Heh." Ranma smirked even as she kept her guard up.  
  
The girl rolled to her feet. "You are very good! Perhaps as  
good as myself. Know this, wench, that I am the rising star  
of St. Hebereke's school for young ladies, Kodachi the Black  
Rose." Kodachi held up a signature rose for just a second  
before throwing it at her foe. With heartfelt laughter, she  
leaped to the wall and then out of sight.  
  
Akane hopped down to the sobbing figures that were  
recovering from Kodachi's vicious beating. "Oh, dry up."  
  
"You don't understand! We've been so humiliated!" one cried  
out.  
  
"Jeez. You're giving guys a bad name," Ranma said as she  
walked over. "Be men! Not crybabies!"  
  
"Ranma!" Akane growled.  
  
"We're not men! We're the Furinkan High Gymnastics Team!"  
one of the girls said, unwrapping her bandages to show that  
this was true. A small bandaged still adorned her nose,  
which looked like it had been broken recently.  
  
"What happened to you?" Akane asked in surprise.  
  
"We were attacked by Kodachi! She decided to take us out  
before our match, instead of meeting and defeating us fairly  
in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Arts meet!" another girl  
cried out. Her eyes widened in surprise as she noted who she  
was talking about. "Akane Tendo? You could enter into the  
match and bring justice on Kodachi for her actions!"  
  
"Yeah! You're sure to win!" the third and final gymnast  
cried out.  
  
"Well, I suppose. I've never heard of Rhythmic Gymnastics  
Martial Arts before." Akane had a thoughtful look on her  
face as she considered the different prospects of this  
endeavor.  
  
"Well, if she enters, so will I!" Ranma declared, a  
determined expression on her face.  
  
"Ranma. You are not a girl!" Akane espoused angrily. "This  
is for girls only!"  
  
"Do I look like a guy right now?"  
  
"Actually, guys can enter, you know. Gymnastics isn't just a  
girls sport. Well, entirely," the leader of the Furinkan  
High team explained. "There are a couple of guys in the  
region."  
  
"So who's being a chauvinist now, Akane?" Ranma heckled.  
  
"Oh, shut up. You're right. This time."  
  
-  
  
"We're home!" Ranma and Akane cried out as they entered the  
house. They were burdened down with various gymnastics  
tools, for their training. Their parents accosted them in an  
eye blink when they walked in the door, leaving the  
gymnastics tools to clatter to the ground.  
  
"No time to argue, son! Come with me!" Genma said, dragging  
Ranma up the stairs at a trot. "Nanami, I'm going to need  
that kettle!"  
  
"You too, Akane! You need to get ready and help Kasumi get  
dressed!" Soun said from right behind, pushing her up the  
stairs at just a little less than a trot.  
  
Akane found herself shoved into her oldest sister's room.  
"Kasumi?"  
  
"Oh, Akane! You need to get ready. Did father explain to you  
what's going on?"  
  
Ranma nearly jumped through the roof when he heard Akane  
yell out, "WHAT! NEVER!"  
  
"Jeez, what's her problem?" Ranma asked his father as he  
patted his hair dry.  
  
"I think that you had better ask her about that, boy."  
  
"Why do I have to wear this get up?" he groused, tugging  
fitfully at the ornate kimono and hakima.  
  
"Ranma, I want you to be especially polite. Takchi has  
brought his parents over to formalize the engagement to  
Kasumi. I would be very disappointed if you disrupted this  
solemn event." Light glinted off of Genma's glasses,  
reminding him for just a second that his lazy old man could  
still give him a thorough beating if he did truly upset him.  
  
"Uh, sure." Now why did he think Ranma would disrupt the  
event?  
  
Soon everyone had gathered at the dinner table. Genma and  
Soun were at one end, an older couple at the other. Ranma  
and Takchi were sitting one side, waiting for Akane and  
Kasumi, who had gone into the kitchen. Everyone present,  
excluding Nanami, was dressed in formal kimonos. There  
seemed to be a high level of tension in the room.  
  
Kasumi and Akane entered the room, carrying trays with tea  
fixings. They knelt across from their respective mates.  
Ranma noted that Akane seemed to be watching what Kasumi was  
doing, mimicking her as closely as possible. There seemed to  
be an almost ritualistic feel to the events. Ranma wasn't  
terribly sure of the significance, but he thought he had a  
good idea. As he took the cup of tea from his fiancee, he  
noted that she looked like she had cried recently.  
  
Soun cleared his throat. "I am pleased to meet you and your  
lovely wife today, Mr. Riaku. Even though this is an  
unexpected event, it is not an unhappy one. With the change  
of plans, I am willing to offer Kasumi and her husband a  
place to stay until they finish college, as our house is  
much closer and is an easier commute. These and gifts for  
your son's education are from my family to your family."  
  
Mr. Riaku nodded. "These are generous, indeed, for my humble  
son. We are both agreed that the wedding will occur in six  
weeks time?"  
  
"Yes. That will give us two weeks after Akane and Ranma's  
wedding to prepare."  
  
Ranma's heart seemed to thud to the bottom of his stomach.  
What? His eyes met Akane's, seeing her pained expression and  
a small curt shake of her head when he started to open his  
mouth. Why was she willing to go along with this?  
  
"I look forward to this occasion."  
  
-  
  
"What the heck is going on?" Ranma cried out, after the  
guests had departed. He folded nearly in half as Akane  
unexpectedly punched him in the stomach.  
  
"There isn't a choice, Ranma. Kasumi has to be married soon.  
And if I don't want to lose my inheritance, I have to be  
married before her."  
  
"Eh? Whatcha talking about?"  
  
"What she is saying, is due to how inheritance taxes work,  
she has to be married before I am or she might not inherit  
the dojo. This is all my fault," Kasumi said, blowing her  
nose as emphasis. She had started crying almost the moment  
that the Riaku's had left.  
  
"How can it be your fault?" Ranma asked, quite confuse now.  
  
"Well, unless I want to be a single mother, I have to be  
married soon." Kasumi laid her hands on her stomach, looking  
like she was going to start crying any time.  
  
Soun rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This has forced us to  
move faster than expected, that's all. Ranma and Akane have  
been engaged for a while and this only formally engages  
Kasumi. I only wish that we weren't having this problem with  
Nabiki right now."  
  
"Oh," Ranma replied eloquently. Maybe this wasn't just his  
old man messing with his life, like normal.  
  
"Father? Ranma and I have to practice for a match this  
upcoming Saturday. So if we could be excused."  
  
Soun nodded, letting them run off. He sighed. "Well,  
Saotome, it looks like things are really moving along now."  
  
"That you're right about, Tendo."  
  
-  
  
"This is trickier than I thought," Ranma muttered to  
herself. She watched as Akane twirled and snapped a ribbon  
like an odd whip.  
  
"Squeee!" a small black piglet cried out.  
  
"Ryoga?" the two martial artists cried out in surprise.  
  
And indeed it was. The small black piglet had a package that  
he had dragged with him.  
  
"Oh, cookies from Hokkaido!"  
  
"Why are you bringing this to us?" Ranma asked suspiciously.  
"Say, do want us to get you some hot water?"  
  
Ryoga squealed happily at the second question.  
  
"Don't worry, Akane. I'll handle it." Ranma snagged the  
cursed boy and ran out of the room. In moments she deposited  
him in the furo, waiting for him to change.  
  
"Ha. Thanks, Ranma," Ryoga said once his now human head  
broke the surface. "As for why I brought those cookies,  
they're an apology for my behavior from before. To Akane."  
  
Ranma squinted at the lost boy suspiciously. He wasn't  
trying to hit on his fiancee, was he? "I don't know if..."  
  
"Hey, what are you doing with those Rhythmic Gymnastics  
tools?" Ryoga asked, sliding to sit comfortably in the  
water.  
  
"Me and Akane got a challenge in Rhythmic Gymnastics' meet.  
So we're practicing. We don't have any really good teachers  
tho'."  
  
"I'll give you a couple of pointers. You probably just need  
some practice and you'll be able to handle just about  
anybody."  
  
"I always can anyways!"  
  
-  
  
Ranma and Akane lay panting on the ground, leaning back to  
back. Ryoga stood behind them, just shaking his head. After  
only three hours of training, they were as good as any  
professional Gymnasts. "If you keep this up for until  
Saturday, whoever you face isn't going to know what  
happened."  
  
"That's the idea!" Akane replied in between huffs and puffs.  
  
"Say, Ryoga? Whatcha going to do now?" Ranma asked, fanning  
herself.  
  
"I'm taking Mr. Tendo up on his offer to be one of his  
students." With a real tutor, Ranma wouldn't know what hit  
him! Ryoga started to laugh maniacally.  
  
"Jeez, what's up with him?"  
  
"I don't know. He was your friend, after all." Akane  
stretched and stood up.  
  
"Akane, Ranma! It's time for bed," Nanami called out.  
  
Akane started walking toward the house. "Come on, we can  
practice some more in the morning."  
  
Ranma really wished their fathers hadn't stepped on any  
practicing after Nanami's bedtime call. She was sure that  
she could surpass Akane if given enough practice. Sighing,  
she headed towards the bathroom to change, in more ways than  
one, before heading to bed.  
  
Absently, she noted that Ryoga was setting up a camp in the  
back yard. Must be afraid of getting lost before his lesson  
tomorrow.  
  
Akane walked passed her, already changed into her pajamas.  
Other days they would sometimes stay up and talk, but  
neither felt up to it this time. A quick jog up the stairs  
and she was in front of her door. Just as she was reaching  
for the doorknob, she stopped. There was a definite  
presence, an unfamiliar one at that too.  
  
She also hadn't been in her room since this morning, so the  
light being on was a serious giveaway. She opened the door  
forcefully, taking in the room in one snap of a glance.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked Kodachi, where she hung on  
the ceiling ninja-like, a large wooden mallet held behind  
her.  
  
Kodachi's eyes opened wider. How had she managed to spot me  
so easily? And how dare she treat me as no threat, standing  
casually like that. She dropped to the ground, still holding  
the mallet behind her. Her free hand took the black rose  
that she'd had clamped in her teeth, holding in elegantly  
before her. She sniffed the rose as if she were in her own  
house and not an intruder.  
  
"I am here to extend my greeting before the match. Please,  
do accept them graciously." And with that swung as hard as  
she could with her mallet. She blinked in astonishment as an  
open palm stopped the weapon's head easily.  
  
"Certainly! After all, I'm just returning as good as I get,  
right?" Akane said with snarling smile.  
  
Kodachi didn't even see the punch that rocketed her out  
through the closed window. The cool air managed to revive  
her just before she crashed painfully into the ground,  
rolling to a stop.  
  
"Curse you, Akane Tendo! I'll have my revenge!" Kodachi  
swore as she stood up. She grimaced in pain at her injured  
arm. "But another night."  
  
-  
  
"Ah, Akane Tendo! My fierce love of my love! I must wisk-  
urk!" his tirade and attempt to grab Akane was stopped by  
her fist in his face.  
  
"Get lost, Kuno!"  
  
Shaking off the stunning blow, Kuno spoke up again, "Nay! I  
must protect you against my villainess sister! Her depths of  
depravity and cunning know no limit or boundaries."  
  
Akane pursed her lips. "I knew she attacked people before  
her matches. Is there more?"  
  
"Aye! She uses uncanny weapons and her skill with poisons is  
not to be trifled with!"  
  
"Hmm. Thanks, Kuno," Akane said in passing as she headed  
into the school.  
  
Moving with surprising quickness, Kuno enfolded her in a  
crushing bear hug from behind, looking like he was grabbing  
her breasts. "Oh, my goddess! I knew that you would show  
your true-gack!"  
  
Ranma removed his foot from the back of Kuno's head. "She  
said get lost!" Ranma said seriously to the slumped over  
figure.  
  
"Why did you interfere?" Akane screamed at him.  
  
"What, I'm supposed to let him grope you?"  
  
"I didn't... I can defend myself, you know!"  
  
"You weren't doing that great of a job, were you?" Ranma  
said snidely.  
  
"Would you like to see how well I can protect myself?"  
  
The warning bell rang. For just a moment they continued to  
stare at each other.  
  
Finally Ranma smiled widely. "Tonight!"  
  
"You've got it!" Akane's smile was just as wide.  
  
-  
  
"I wish Ryoga would have been able to make it," Akane mused  
aloud.  
  
"Yeah! That way I can show him that I've gotten better than  
him." And you, Ranma added silently. Though she did have to  
admit that her skills with a wide variety of weapons had  
surprised her. She had explained that a great part of the  
Tendo School of martial arts included them.  
  
It was supposedly an ancient tradition of the family. Mr.  
Tendo even had a full suit of samurai armor. That had  
surprised Ranma, when he'd started practice one morning in  
it with a practice spear. Ranma was still sporting bruises  
because of that encounter.  
  
Ranma thought to herself that he'd never seen such an  
intense match between Mr. Tendo and her father after she and  
Akane were done. It had taken his pop ten minutes to finally  
get the spear away. It took another ten minutes for Mr.  
Tendo to finish the fight, close as it had been. The  
protection of the armor had balanced with its  
cumbersomeness, but the punishing hits with the spear that  
it had allowed him to inflict on his father had been  
amazing. And the telling point of the fight.  
  
The pigtailed martial artist had to frown at the words of  
his father about weapon users being very dangerous, in their  
own way. He'd then laughed as he remembered the other father  
going after him for something long forgotten. Mr. Tendo had  
nodded while smiling wryly and explained that weapons had  
many advantages and disadvantages.  
  
Ranma's train of thought was broken as they entered St.  
Hebereke Academy. The door opened and a round, black ball  
rolled out, a fuse burning down merrily.  
  
"That can't be..?"  
  
"...a bomb?"  
  
Instincts took over, sending them to dive back down the  
stairs, away from the bomb. "Wagh!" they cried out. With a  
thundering boom, it took out the door and a figure that had  
been hiding behind the door. Said figure, blackened and in  
obvious pain, collapsed unconscious.  
  
"Isn't this taking things a little far?" Akane asked,  
looking over at Ranma.  
  
"You're asking me? I just hope that's the last of it."  
  
Ranma's words seemed to fulfill some perverse law of  
coincidence, as more bombs rolled out of the shattered  
doorway. With a quick glance to each other, they ran to the  
side of the building. Behind them, explosions rocked the  
building.  
  
"Look! A way in!" Ranma cried, pointing to an open window on  
the second floor.  
  
"Right!" Without a second thought, they bounced up and in.  
  
"Ready! Aim! Fire!" a girl in a leotard called out, dropping  
her hand. The other four girls released their arrows,  
pulling back and shooting again and again.  
  
Akane's foot slipped a classroom desk up, blocking the  
arrows coming at her. Her other foot lashed out, sending a  
row of desk-chairs at the girls. Ranma had rocketed up to  
the ceiling and pancaked up to it for a long moment. With  
quick scurrying motions, she ended up above them.  
  
The pigtailed girl landed on them at the same time as her  
fiancee bounded off a wall and smashed into their front  
line. Feminine shrieks and cries of pain were the only  
noises that escaped the dust cloud of the fight.  
  
Twin sounds of unfeminine pain broke through finally. The  
cloud settled for just a second to show Akane and Ranma,  
fists imbedded in each others faces. The other girls were  
collapsed on the ground with lumps and contusions.  
  
"Oops. Sorry!" Ranma called out.  
  
"Uh, no problem. It's an honest mistake, right?"  
  
"Right! Let's go!"  
  
They opened the door and peeked through. Not spotting  
anything, they started to walk down the hallway carefully. A  
strange zinging noise came from around the corner. Several  
more girls in leotards came around the corner on skates or  
skateboards, the lead one blaring out with a trumpet. All of  
them brandished clubs and hoops.  
  
Both of their targets flipped up to stand on the walls on  
either side of the hallway, defying gravity and avoiding the  
wheeled charge. Fists lashed out at the surprised attackers.  
More feminine shrieks were heard, even as the skateboards  
continued down the hall.  
  
"Feh. They didn't have much, did they?"  
  
"Nope," Akane agreed. "We'd better hurry! I think Kodachi is  
trying to disqualify us because a no show."  
  
"Hmm. I don't even know which way to the gym."  
  
"We'll ask her!" Putting actions to her words, Akane hefted  
one of the more semiconscious girls. She shook the girl  
lightly to wake her all the way up. "Which way to the gym?"  
  
"You'll never make it in time! It's all the way down this  
hall and downstairs! Every inch is trapped!" The unknown  
gymnast wasn't quite so sure of her own words. These two  
were unstoppable!  
  
Akane dropped the girl unceremoniously. She looked over to  
Ranma with a hard grin on her face. "Race you!"  
  
"You're on!"  
  
The race down the hallway turned into an obstacle course  
with traps, more bombs and leotard wearing girls attacking  
with every weapon they could throw at the pair.  
  
-  
  
Kodachi looked on in triumph, she had a mere sixty seconds  
to go and she would still be undefeated. Suddenly, the door  
crashed open, admitting smoke and two bedraggled figures.  
Steadily and confidently, they walked up to the ring,  
stripping the ragged remains of their outer clothing off to  
reveal their only slightly smudged leotards.  
  
"No!"  
  
"You're Akane Tendo? And Ranma Saotome?" They nodded in  
response. "All right, take your corner!"  
  
"Ah, my fierce tigress! You astound me with your  
determination. But hark, who is that lovely damsel that  
walks at her side so confidently. My eyes do not deceive me,  
this can not be that fiend Ranma Saotome. I must pontificate  
more on this matter, lest I make a rash judgment." Kuno sat  
up in the bleachers, lost in thought.  
  
"You can't be here!" Kodachi screeched, literally shaking in  
anger.  
  
"Why not?" Akane asked seriously. She flipped up into the  
ring, snapping two clubs out of the air.  
  
Kodachi gulped, trying to overcome her anger. "I... I am  
unable to compete this day. My arm has a fracture and my  
doctor has warned me that I may hurt myself and never be  
able to compete again." She removed the jacket stiffly she'd  
been wearing. It had hid her bandages. Her eyes were  
narrowed in fury. How had they managed to defeat all of her  
traps? Her cunning plans and loyal followers?  
  
The crowd oohed in shock. Kodachi was having to forfeit? In  
the middle of them, Kuno almost noted something unusual, but  
slid back into his ruminations.  
  
"Kodachi has forfeited! Being the only entrant for St.  
Herebeke, that means Furinkan High wins!"  
  
"Hey! You mean we don't even get to fight?" Ranma asked  
incredulously. That wasn't fair!  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"The only matches today were between the schools!"  
  
"No!" they cried out, but the referee was already walking  
off.  
  
-  
  
An hour later, after everyone else had left, the two  
Furinkan martial artists sat gloomily on the benches.  
  
"We never got to see who was really better," Ranma groused.  
  
"I know already. But without a referee, we'll never agree to  
a winner."  
  
"It's kind of funny how Kodachi had to forfeit though.  
Serves her right."  
  
"She was hoisted by her own petard, wasn't she?"  
  
"Uh huh. Let's go home." 


End file.
